NMC’s mental health task force suggests better pay, 74-hour work week for medics

According to an online survey of 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 postgraduate students, and 7,035 faculty members, the committee found prevalence of a high number of mental health issues. Among UG students, 27.8% said they have been diagnosed with some mental condition and 16.2% had suicidal ideation. Among PG students, 31.23% reported having suicidal thoughts in their life, 10.5% thought of suicide in the last one year, and 4.4% attempted suicide in the last year.

The reportbroadly gave 44 recommendations, including measures such as providing 24×7 support through the government’s counselling helpline tele-MANAS, providing proper amenities in college and hostel, and involving family in induction programmes to help them understand the pressures faced by medical students.

One of the measures suggested by the committee is regulating the duty hours. The committee recommended that residents work no more than 74 hours a week, which should ideally include one day off, a 24-hour duty, and five 10-hour shifts. “Ensuring 7 to 8 hours of daily sleep for medical students is crucial for their mental and physical health,” it says.

The committee also said that medical colleges should consider giving one 10-day vacation to all under-graduate and postgraduate students. The committee suggested that medical colleges across the country adopt the pay scale of AIIMS-New Delhi to get rid of the variation in compensation that ranges between Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

The report also supports abolition of the bond policy where students have to pay the state exchequer if they leave their course midway or do not provide services in rural areas or other specified services.