AP Caps Medical PG Students’ Duty at 24 Hours
Each PG student will be entitled to 20 days of paid casual leave, five days of academic leave and 52 weekend leaves a year
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has capped the continuous duty hours of medical postgraduate (PG) students at 24 hours and their weekly duty at 74 hours, following representations from the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association over the hardships faced by them.
Health secretary G. Veerapandian directed the authorities to take necessary measures on the work schedules of PG students. Subsequently, director of medical education (DME) Dr A. Vishnu Vardhan issued directions to the principals of government medical colleges and superintendents of government teaching hospitals to strictly follow the norms.
Under the new norms, every PG student must be given a day off each week. A student who attends night duty should be given leave the following day, with the leave recorded in the duty roster. Duty rosters may be prepared in 24-hour or 10-hour shifts, depending on requirements.
During normal working days, PG students on night duty must be given a minimum 30-minute break each for lunch and dinner. These meal breaks will not be counted as duty hours. Rosters must also provide students with seven to eight hours of sleep.
Vishnu Vardhan directed colleges to follow National Medical Commission and task force guidelines on work schedules, duty rosters, leave, health and welfare. Regular counselling and programmes on time and stress management should also be conducted.
The DME warned that action would be taken against principals, superintendents and heads of departments if regular review meetings were not held or compliance reports were not submitted.
Each PG student will be entitled to 20 days of paid casual leave, five days of academic leave and 52 weekend leaves a year. Weekend leave should not be adjusted against other leave.
Every wing must have an associate professor or senior officer as PG Registrar. Heads of departments, PG Registrars, faculty members, senior residents and junior residents will jointly prepare duty rosters. Each college must appoint a nodal officer to submit a monthly compliance report to the health directorate by the 10th of every month. Monthly review meetings must also be held to address PG students’ concerns.
The DME further directed colleges to provide drinking water and water supply in junior doctors’ washrooms within a month. Funds from CSR, HDS and CDS may be used to provide the required amenities.
