THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Eyebrows raised over new working hours regulation for doctors

Eyebrows raised over new working hours regulation for doctors

The Medical Council’s proposal that doctors should work no more than 80 hours a week has caused quite a stir. While the Working Time Directive should in theory create a win-win situation for doctors and patients, in practice it does not seem to be possibl

So, far from winning loud cheers from patients for promising a cut in misdiagnosed cases, and from doctors for the lighter workload, the Medical Council’s recent move has simply raised a lot of eyebrows. 
“If the Working Time Directive can’t be enforced, it should never be rolled out. False expectations will only lead to tension and friction,” a young medical specialist at a state hospital commented. 
Another doctor notes that she is often woken in the middle of the night to help patients needing urgent medical attention, and believes the Working Time Directive should not intervene in such matters. 
“I have never really counted my work hours,” said a medical specialist. “I only know that after I wake up, I rush to my hospital. I also spend a lot of weekends at medical facilities. On some days, I have to be on standby round-the-clock too”.
Because their professions have a big impact on the lives of people, doctors and other medical workers tend to pay attention more to the number of patients they save than the number of hours they work. 
On March 18, the Medical Council wrote to doctors’ organisations across the country to ask for their help on a review of guideline about doctors’ work schedule and assignment. The goal was to ensure that medical-facility executives properly manage human resources within the medical sector.
The proposed guidelines from the Medical Council are:
1. Doctors should work no more than 80 hours a week.
2. Doctors should have at least one day-off per week.
3. Doctors should not work more than 16 hours consecutively.
4. Doctors who are required to work for 24 consecutive hours should be granted a break of at least 14 hours. 
5. Doctors should not be required to work beyond normal service hours more than seven times in one month.
6. Doctors assigned to work in the hours after midnight should have eight hours of rest before their next shift.
7. Doctors aged over 50 should not be assigned to work outside normal service hours.
 One doctor based in a rural area said she worked the night shift 15 days a month because there was only one other doctor at her 30-bed hospital. 
“We have to take turns and share the workload,” she explained. 
Presently, most Thai doctors either work or have in the past worked more than 80 hours a week. Medical specialists who provide consultation services must also be on standby round the clock. This is in addition to the routine ward visits to check on the condition of their patients. 
Speaking to The Nation, one doctor said she had to go to work even when she herself fell ill, because no one else could fill in. 
“So before you talk about the Working Time Directive, what about arranging more efficient work assignments. Before you create an additional workload, think about overwhelmed doctors in the field,” she said. 
Medical Council secretary-general Dr Sampandh Komrit, who chairs a subcommittee on improving health system and doctors’ quality of life, said his agency had planned to listen to doctors’ opinions before officially introducing the Working Time Directive.
In theory, the move by the Medical Council is reasonable. But the reality of a shortage of doctors means Thailand will almost certainly be unable to implement the guidelines strictly and effectively. 
The move should, however, nudge relevant parties into paying serious attention to the need to curb doctors’ workload. The Working Time Directive should eventually benefit not just doctors but also patients. 
 
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