65% of doctor-moms struggle to balance personal, professional lives

A study conducted by India-based Pristyn Care and Lybrate Data found 65 per cent of surveyed doctor-mothers in key metropolitan and Tier-2 cities experience burnout while striving to balance their personal and professional lives. The study said 41 per cent of the 500 doctor-moms surveyed have experienced workplace discrimination for “being a doctor and a mother.” The study was conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Patna, Kochi and Vijayawada.
An average of 63 per cent of the doctors work eight to 12 hours daily, impacting their ability to achieve satisfactory work-life harmony. Over 50 per cent of these professionals struggle to find time for self-care, it said. To address these issues, 61 per cent of the respondents prefer flexible work hours while around 20 per cent emphasise the importance of mental health support.
Dr. Garima Sawhney, co-founder and gynaecologist at Pristyn Care, said, "The study aims to understand how doctor-moms navigate their personal and professional lives. We considered their work hours, preferences for scheduling, self-care practices and perspectives on HR policies.
"An overwhelming 80 per cent of the participants say workplaces should provide targeted support and resources specifically tailored for doctor-moms.”