Resident doctors at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh are enduring grueling work schedules that often exceed 80–90 hours per week, with many going weeks without a single day off, rendering work-life balance practically nonexistent. Despite clear guidelines under the Central Residency Scheme of 1992—which limits daily duty to 12 hours, weekly hours to 48, and mandates at least one weekly day off—residents in clinical, surgical, super-specialty, emergency, and trauma departments report routine violations of these norms. A circular issued by PGI Director Dr. Vivek Lal in September 2025, urging department heads to optimize duty hours and ensure weekly days off to prevent undue stress, has had little practical impact four months later.

Junior and senior residents across departments describe a system where long stretches without rest are common. A senior resident in pediatric surgery shared that they frequently work 30 consecutive days, requiring advance leave applications even for a single day off. In the internal medicine department, residents assigned to other wards—particularly hectic ones like gastroenterology—rarely receive even one day off per month. Those deputed to emergency and trauma centers face the toughest conditions, with shifts frequently extending beyond the stipulated 12 hours due to patient influx or critical cases. A junior resident at the trauma center reported his last day off came after 15 days, with the next expected only after a similar interval.

Duty rosters from key departments, including the December 2025 schedule for internal medicine’s acute care emergency division and January 2026 rosters for pediatrics and general surgery, show no designated weekly days off for junior residents. In general surgery, while emergency postings may allow for weekly days off, ward duties operate on flexible arrangements rather than fixed rest days. Extra hours worked during emergencies or in operation theaters are not officially recorded, meaning residents receive no additional stipend for overtime.

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The demanding schedules take a significant toll on residents’ physical health, mental well-being, academic performance, and personal lives. Many resort to cutting sleep and relying on ready-made food to cope with the workload, which includes ward duties, patient care, and academic responsibilities. A hematology department resident noted that the intensity of the workload leaves little time or energy to even raise concerns about these conditions. Residents continue to persevere, viewing the period as a necessary part of their training, even as efficiency and quality of life suffer.

Despite repeated attempts to seek responses from PGI Director Dr. Vivek Lal, Dean of Academics Dr. R.K. Ratho, and heads of major departments, including internal medicine, general surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, and clinical hematology, as well as the president of the Association of Resident Doctors, no official comments were provided. The persistent gap between policy directives and on-the-ground reality continues to highlight systemic challenges in postgraduate medical training at one of India’s premier institutions.

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