Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Junior Doctors Seek Two-Month Residency Posting Amid Schedule Delay
Junior doctors are waiting for their next hospital posting schedule.
The posting is part of their medical training.
It was supposed to be arranged before the previous posting ended in June.
Instead, the schedule was issued only at the end of July, and the new list was still not finalised by the end of August.
The Health Department wants the posting to remain three months long.
The doctors want it shortened to two months because the delay could interfere with their studies and research.
They are especially worried about completing their thesis work on time.
New rules also limit where doctors can be posted and give medical college deans more control.
The Federation of All India Medical Association says the delay could disrupt residents’ entire training schedules.
The District Residency Programme’s next schedule has been delayed by about a month, and the new doctor list was still pending at the end of August.
The Health Department plans to retain the programme’s mandatory three-month duration.
Junior doctors want the posting reduced to two months to protect their residency, thesis and research schedules.
The delay followed new rules limiting residents to district hospitals within their divisions and giving medical college deans discretion over postings.
The three-month rotational programme is mandatory for postgraduate students pursuing MD, MS or DNB training.
- Who
- Junior doctors, the Madhya Pradesh Health Department, medical college deans and the Federation of All India Medical Association, represented by Dr Akash Soni.
- What
- A delayed District Residency Programme schedule has prompted junior doctors to seek a reduction in the posting period from three months to two.
- When
- The previous DRP ended in June; the next schedule was issued at the end of July, and the new list remained pending as August ended.
- Where
- Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, involving district hospitals within residents’ respective divisions.
- Why
- Doctors say the delay could disrupt their residency schedules, including thesis and research work.
Junior Doctors’ Position
Health Department’s Position
Programme duration
Junior Doctors’ Position
Junior doctors want the District Residency Programme reduced to two months so the delayed schedule does not disrupt their residency, thesis and research work.
Health Department’s Position
The Health Department has decided to retain the programme’s three-month duration.
Effect of the delay
Junior Doctors’ Position
The Federation of All India Medical Association says the delay, which was not caused by junior doctors, could disrupt their entire residency schedule.
Health Department’s Position
The department has continued with the existing three-month arrangement while the schedule and postings are being finalised.
Posting rules
Junior Doctors’ Position
Junior doctors and others have opposed the revised rules because they could affect the broader availability of doctors across Madhya Pradesh.
Health Department’s Position
The revised rules limit residents to district hospitals within their respective divisions and give the relevant medical college dean discretion over postings.
- Programme
- District Residency Programme (DRP)
- Current duration
- Three months
- Doctors’ demand
- Reduce the DRP to two months
- Previous posting ended
- June
- Schedule issued
- End of July
- Status by end of August
- The new doctor list had not been finalised
- Training covered
- Postgraduate MD, MS and DNB programmes