Hyderabad, June 29 -- Nearly one in six resident doctors in India has experienced thoughts of self-harm linked to work stress, according to a nationwide survey that paints a grim picture of the conditions in which the country's postgraduate medical trainees are working.

The survey, conducted by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and covering 1,260 resident doctors across 28 states and Union Territories, found that 87.5 per cent reported symptoms of burnout and 87.8 per cent said they were sleep-deprived because of duty hours and workload.

More than 61 per cent said they had worked continuously for over 36 hours at a stretch, while 63.7 per cent said they rarely or never received mandatory post-duty rest.

The findin...