The Medical Council of Thailand has set a cap for Thai doctors’ work hours, after finding out they dangerously overwork, with some forced to take shifts totaling more than 100 hours a week.
According to Dr. Samphan Komrit, the council’s spokesman, the long hours have weakened doctors and put them at risk for contracting diseases at hospitals. Every year, a few doctors have been reportedly in car accidents because they dozed off, while some quit their jobs because of the extreme working conditions, Daily News reported.
Therefore, the council has announced the limit of 40 work hours per week, including up to 16 hours of emergency room hours. Meanwhile, doctors over the age of 55 should have the option to not work overtime.
While the rules are not mandatory, the council hopes they will be used as a reference for work policy in the healthcare industry.
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