Doctors from Telangana hospitals have reached out to the government, urging that steps be taken to address their longstanding requests for increased salaries and the release of overdue payments. A gathering convened at Osmania Medical College by the Telangana Government Doctor Association (TGDA) saw medical professionals expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s lack of response to their appeals.
Nearly 600 doctors affiliated with state-run colleges conveyed their worries regarding pending salaries and outstanding payments. They highlighted that these payments have been pending since the 2016 pay revision commission. They were hopeful that the government would promptly disburse the long overdue payments, in addition to providing allowances to teaching doctors at rural medical colleges.
Amongst their demands was the incorporation of doctors and medical staff under the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) into the health department, which would oversee the disbursement of their salaries. The doctors also insisted on a seniority-based recruitment process for district medical and health officers. Additionally, they sought the introduction of health cards and the regularisation of positions for doctors employed on a contractual basis.
Various associations have highlighted that the government consistently underreports vacancies across departments in order to avoid recruitment. Despite the existence of 781 associate professor vacancies across 21 medical colleges, the government has acknowledged only 189 positions within 25 colleges. The Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) has stated that although 33 medical colleges in Telangana have been approved, the government has been reluctant to appoint the necessary teaching staff, leaving 20 per cent of positions vacant.
