M3 India connected with Indian doctors to understand their views on restricted working hours for medical professionals.

The first part of the survey summary throws light on honest opinions shared by Indian doctors in this context.Read it here.

In this second part of our survey summary, we share with you suggestions that were given by doctors on improving work-life balance.

What did the doctors suggest? 

The final part of our survey invited suggestions from respondents for improving the current situation with doctor’s working hours. The responses ranged from ideal practices to more practical solutions.

Out of the total 241 respondents all enthusiastically shared their ideas on this topic. Doctors responded saying “Hospitals should be run as cooperatives with a minimum common code of standard practices not to be made as money minting business.”

A senior doctor suggested” Working hours of Doctors can be improved by following the norms set by WHO ie the number of doctors required as per population set by WHO. For that, number of seats in Medical college, number of Medical college and number of employment for doctors, number of faculties in Medical colleges should all be improved and increased. Also, the different pathy should follow their own norms and pathy strictly. Also, the ineqilibrium and unmet need of rural and urban should be addressed adequately.so a good deal of revamping is needed at many levels.”

A senior respondent suggested, “number of minutes spent per patient should be made mandatory” .

Yet another doctor responded saying “Give compensations for extra hours duty, increase salary, give more vacations”

“Shared practice” or creating doctor groups (polyclinic) for private practitioners” was another suggestion shared by many respondents as an idea to curb long working hours. Apart from this, respondents also suggested “Staffing hospitals adequately both with doctors and paramedical staff, Training on time management and Outsourcing documentation part either to third parties or recruiting qualified persons.”

Younger doctors (20-29 years) have suggested shorter working shifts and “better doctor rooms” for those working in shifts. Interestingly, a common response from this group of respondents was “Improve working conditions.” And “better distribution of work.” Further, younger respondents also said, “adequate doctor patient ratio” is important.”

“Working hours should be limited to 12 hours. The system of 36 hours shift should be legally banned. After 24 hours shift, compulsorily off time should be given. These suggestions will remain like a dream. That’s the truth” lamented some of the respondents.

Quoting another young respondent “Much greater number of doctors should be employed in the public health system, with proper remuneration and infrastructure to practice their medical skills, so that the doctor: patient ratio improves. The PG myth should be broken. Every year, hundreds of doctors devote themselves to prepare for PG, making their skills unavailable for patient care & subsequently blunting their clinical knowledge.

The findings of this survey hint at the fact that capping working hours of medical professionals is likely to have a positive impact at many levels, as suggested by the doctor community in India.

Read Part 1 of the survey summary here.

Disclaimer

We have presented the data and facts as they are without generalizing the results as a reflection of the views of entire Indian doctor population. The demographic profile of the survey participants [shown above] may differ from the population of all Indian Doctors. Also, limiting the sample to the Internet channel only may introduce bias in the results. We also urge that the findings should not be interpreted as implying cause and effect.