Survey Flags Burnout Among Resident Doctors

Hyderabad: Excessive duty hours, chronic sleep deprivation and inadequate institutional support are pushing resident doctors across India to the brink, according to the Federation of All India Medical Association’s (FAIMA) Review Medical System (RMS) 2.0 survey released on Monday.

The nationwide survey, covering 1,260 resident doctors from 28 states and Union Territories, paints a grim picture of working conditions in medical colleges and teaching hospitals.

It found that 87.5 per cent of respondents experienced burnout symptoms either frequently or sometimes, while 87.8 per cent reported sleep deprivation due to prolonged duty hours. As many as 61.8 per cent had worked continuously for more than 36 hours, and 63.7 per cent said they rarely or never received mandatory rest after 24‑hour duties.

More than half (54.4 per cent) said they had considered leaving residency because of stress and workload, while 16.9 per cent admitted to thoughts of self‑harm linked to work stress.

“The findings reveal alarming levels of excessive working hours, inadequate rest, sleep deprivation, burnout, staffing shortages and psychological stress among resident doctors,” the report’s executive summary states.

Severe manpower shortages were also highlighted. Nearly 65.7 per cent felt their departments were inadequately staffed, while 66.1 per cent described their workload as high or extremely high. The shortage, the report said, directly contributes to prolonged duties, reduced rest periods, compromised academic training and mental exhaustion.

Besides workload, resident doctors expressed dissatisfaction with bond policies and stipend structures. Inconsistent stipends across states, delayed payments and heavy financial penalties for leaving postgraduate seats add to emotional and financial stress. Respondents called for rationalisation of bond policies, uniform stipend structures and timely payments.

The report recommends a national cap on duty hours, mandatory post‑duty rest after 24‑hour shifts, a ban on continuous duties exceeding 36 hours, recruitment of additional healthcare workers, 24x7 confidential mental health counselling services, uniform stipend policies and periodic audits of workloads.

In its concluding remarks, the report underscores the urgency of reforms: “Resident doctors are not merely a workforce resource but the future backbone of healthcare in India. Protecting their well‑being is essential for maintaining both quality medical education and safe patient care.”

Responding to the survey findings, senior residents in Telangana said they faced an additional and significant source of stress: prolonged delays in stipend/salary disbursement.

In several instances, senior residents have had to wait 2–3 months to receive their salaries, creating severe financial hardship. Delayed payments affect their ability to pay rent, EMIs, educational loans, and meet daily living expenses, further compounding the mental and emotional burden of demanding clinical duties.

The situation was more concerning for super-specialty senior residents, many of whom have not received even a single month's salary despite completing nearly five months of service and continue to await payment. Such prolonged delays are unacceptable for doctors providing essential patient care and significantly contribute to burnout, anxiety, and low morale.