Mumbai: A statewide survey conducted by the Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) revealed an alarming collapse in basic safety, living conditions and work infrastructure across 18 government medical colleges, affecting more than 5,800 resident doctors in Maharashtra. The findings, published in an official press release on December 12, highlight structural failures that doctors say are now directly impacting patient care.
According to the survey, government hospitals across Maharashtra are facing a 25 per cent shortage of security personnel, leaving critical hospital spaces, OPDs, wards, casualty units, and hostels, dangerously vulnerable. Colleges that require around 200 security guards reportedly have barely 150 deployed, leading to rising incidents of violence against doctors, unauthorised access to hostels, crowd mismanagement and multiple cases of harassment and stalking.
Conditions Worse At Hostels
The situation is equally grim inside hostels. Central MARD reports that half of resident doctors do not receive hostel accommodation, forcing many to travel long and unsafe distances after night duties. Those who do get rooms often face leaking ceilings, pest infestations, stray dog intrusion, poor sanitation and frequent water and electricity shortages. In nearly 50 per cent of institutions, hostel mess facilities are non-functional and the lack of separate hostels for women puts their safety at further risk.
Financial insecurity also looms large. One in every three medical colleges delays stipend payments, with many missing the mandated date of the 10th of each month. Resident doctors, who routinely work 80 to 100 hours per week, say these delays force them into debt and compromise their ability to pay for food, travel and housing.
The report highlights the psychological toll as well: only 39 per cent of doctors said they feel safe at work, while 50 per cent said they feel only partially safe and 11 per cent admitted to feeling unsafe. Central MARD says the ongoing anxiety and burnout is directly affecting clinical decision-making and patient care.
Despite repeated complaints, administrative inaction remains widespread. Fifty percent of colleges that submitted formal security or facility complaints reported no action from hospital managements.
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Central MARD has demanded time-bound action from the state government, including full security deployment within 90 days, compulsory hostel allotment for all residents, strict enforcement of stipend deadlines, gender-segregated hostels, sanitation upgrades and a transparent accountability mechanism for defaulting institutions.
In its concluding statement, the association said, “Resident doctors are not asking for luxury, only basic safety, dignity and infrastructure needed to care for patients safely. The crisis is real, the data is clear and the government must act before another tragedy forces action.”
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