Hyderabad: The medical
fraternity in Telangana has urged the state government to introduce a
structured annual recruitment plan for appointing doctors and professors in
government medical colleges. The demand stems from growing concerns over
inconsistent hiring practices that are reportedly weakening medical education
and public healthcare services.
Dr. K Brahmeshwar,
president of the Healthcare Reforms Doctors’ Association (HRDA), highlighted
that many departments in these colleges are being operated by assistant
professors alone, often those hired on contractual or temporary terms. He noted
that the last recruitment for assistant professors, which brought in around 200
to 250 candidates, was conducted in 2022 only after judicial intervention by
the High Court.
Speaking to the Times of India, he said, “In
Hyderabad, both Gandhi and Osmania Medical Colleges are facing a shortage of
faculty in some departments. While some departments don’t have faculty at all.
One reason for this shortage could be the transfer of faculty from these major
colleges to newer institutions on the city’s outskirts. However, most
peripheral colleges currently only have undergraduate students and do not yet
require senior faculty. On the other hand, colleges in districts like Nirmal,
Kamareddy, and Nizamabad are struggling with severe faculty shortages.”
Every year, around 1,100
postgraduate medical students complete their training in Telangana. However,
due to the absence of timely and regular government job notifications, a
significant number of these qualified professionals are compelled to join private
healthcare institutions or move out of the state in search of better
opportunities, reports the Daily. The lack of consistent recruitment has not
only hindered career progression for junior doctors but has also led to
staffing shortages in government hospitals.
The situation has become
more urgent following the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) issuance of
show-cause notices to 26 out of Telangana’s 34 government-run medical colleges.
These notices cited inadequacies in infrastructure, clinical services, and faculty
strength. Currently, government medical colleges across Telangana have between
450 and 500 faculty members, while the minimum requirement is approximately 750
to 800, according to HRDA. As mandated by the NMC, each clinical department
must include at least one professor, one associate professor, and one assistant
professor.
government medical colleges were opened across the state, each admitting 100
MBBS students annually. With this expansion, Telangana now offers 4,215 MBBS
seats. However, medical professionals warn that the state’s focus on rapidly
scaling infrastructure without a corresponding increase in staff and facilities
is putting the quality of medical education and public health services at risk.
A senior govt doctor, citing anonymity, said: “If the govt continues to
open new colleges, there must also be regular recruitment to keep pace with
annual retirements. “
