Synopsis: The Indian Medical Association has demanded strict duty-hour caps for doctors, comparing 36–48-hour shifts to aviation’s regulated rest periods. Highlighting fatigue-related errors and patient risk, the IMA criticised unchanged conditions despite Supreme Court directives post-R.G. Kar tragedy. It seeks enforceable limits, adequate staffing, and recognition that exhaustion is a safety hazard, not dedication.

A doctor completes a 36-hour shift at a government hospital. Her hands shake as she writes prescriptions. She doesn’t remember when was the last time she slept. In the next room, a pilot prepares for a domestic flight. Aviation rules guarantee him rest after eight hours of duty. The doctor continues her rounds.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised this question w

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