Indian Medical Workforce Under Strain: 91% of Doctors Would Discourage Their Children from Choosing Medicine in the Current Climate, Finds Landmark Study

– 67% of Indian Doctors Have Faced Medico-Legal Complaints, 84% Fear Assault 

– Study of 1,200 Medics Signals Workforce Strain in Indian Healthcare as Doctors Report Burnout, Legal Exposure and Career Doubt 

Mumbai, 4th March 2026: A nationwide study conducted by the Debabrata Mitalee Auro Foundation (DAF) between January and June 2025 has revealed a stark, statistically significant and concerning trend within India’s medical community: 91.4% of doctors surveyed said they would not encourage their children to pursue medicine as a career. Importantly, this sentiment reflects concern about present working conditions and systemic pressures rather than a loss of faith in medicine as a vocation. With India facing significant challenges in maintaining the doctor-to-patient ratio across several regions, the study raises concerns that the doctor-patient gap may widen if fewer high-performing students choose medicine or if an increasing number of doctors consider early exit due to sustained systemic pressures. The survival of the healthcare ecosystem depends not just on infrastructure but also on motivated professionals who feel secure and valued while continuing their service to society and the nation.

The study surveyed 1,208 doctors across Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India, spanning both private and government practice. Of the respondents, 63% were male and 37% female; 78% were from the private sector and 22% from government hospitals. The doctors represented a broad spectrum of specialities, including general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology, dermatology, orthopaedics, ENT and others.

The findings indicate sustained professional strain and rising disillusionment: 

• 78% of respondents reported high levels of burnout in the past year 
• 56% acknowledged experiencing symptoms consistent with anxiety or depression, underscoring the psychological toll of prolonged professional strain
• 84% said they feel more likely than the general population to face physical or verbal assault by patients or their families 
• 67% reported having been named in some form of medico-legal complaint 
• Nearly half, 47%, said they had actively considered leaving the profession 
• In addition, 61% believe public perception of doctors has worsened over the past five years

Prof. Dr. Debraj Shome, Founder, Debabrata Mitalee Auro Foundation and author of Amazon Best Seller book ‘Doctors Are Not Murderers’, commented on the findings: “When 91.4% of doctors say they would not want their children to enter medicine, it signals something far deeper than routine burnout. This study shows that 78% are experiencing high burnout, and 56% report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Add to that the fact that 84% express concern about physical or verbal assault, and you begin to see how the practice environment has shifted. Clinical decisions are increasingly made with an awareness of potential litigation, public scrutiny, and personal vulnerability, factors that did not shape everyday practice to the same extent in previous decades. That sustained pressure inevitably influences behaviour, be it communication patterns or risk-taking, and it raises important questions about long-term workforce stability.”

“These are not isolated pressures; they form a climate in which doctors feel emotionally exhausted, legally exposed and physically unsafe. Medicine has always demanded sacrifice. What we are witnessing today, however, is a gradual erosion of morale and confidence in the systems meant to support those who deliver care,” added Prof. Dr. Shome. 

When viewed against global benchmarks, the contrast is notable. A 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 29% of doctors worldwide report symptoms of depression. In the United Kingdom, one in four doctors has considered quitting due to stress, according to the British Medical Association (2023). While physician burnout is a documented global concern, the Indian data suggest comparatively higher levels of distress and attrition intent, particularly when combined with reported exposure to medico-legal risk and workplace hostility.

The Foundation states that the report is intended to initiate dialogue on systemic reform, including structured mental health support for doctors, stronger legal and institutional protections against violence and harassment, public sensitisation efforts to rebuild trust, and healthcare workplace policies that enable recovery and respite.

The study has been released alongside Doctors Are Not Murderers, authored by Dr. Debraj Shome and Dr. Aarti Heda. Bringing together 23 essays by globally renowned medical practitioners and thought leaders from India and abroad, including Dr. Nikhil Datar, Dr. Kuldeep Raizada, Dr. Rajan Bhonsle, Dr. John Adler and Dr. Pankaj Singh, the book examines how medical practice is increasingly shaped by fear: fear of litigation, fear of violence, and fear of public misjudgment. Several essays address the rise of defensive medicine, the psychological toll of litigation and media scrutiny, and the moral injury experienced by practitioners who operate in high-stakes environments where uncertainty is inherent. Others explore violence against doctors, the pressures of regulatory oversight, and the widening gap between public expectation and clinical reality. Rather than arguing for immunity from accountability, the book calls for proportionality, context and due process in assessing medical error.

Where the Foundation’s survey quantifies the scale of burnout, anxiety and declining morale within India’s medical community, Doctors Are Not Murderers situates those findings within a broader structural and cultural shift. Together, the study and the book make it clear that, unless trust is restored and complexity is acknowledged, the strain on individual doctors will continue to have long-term consequences for the healthcare system itself.

The Foundation reiterates that the purpose of this study is not to sensationalise distress, but to catalyse informed dialogue and actionable reform. Sustainable healthcare systems depend not only on infrastructure and policy, but on professionals who feel secure, respected, and supported. Rebuilding confidence within the medical workforce is therefore not a sectoral concern, but a national imperative. The Dear People Movement exists to illuminate exactly this unseen reality. Reform begins with conversation. When we humanise what happens inside clinical establishments, we protect both patient safety and physician dignity.

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