Hyderabad: Telangana has nearly 30% of its sanctioned doctor posts lying vacant in govt teaching and secondary hospitals, with 2,238 of the 7,515 positions remaining unfilled, according to health department data tabled in the legislative council. The figures were provided in response to a question raised by BRS MLC Naveen Kumar Kurumaiahgari.According to the reply, Telangana has 203 govt hospitals, including 35 teaching hospitals, 16 speciality hospitals and 152 secondary hospitals, with a total bed strength of 36,984.However, the vacancy burden is not evenly distributed. While teaching hospitals attached to govt medical colleges are relatively better staffed, with about 22% of posts (758 of 3,423) vacant, secondary hospitals, which form the backbone of district-level healthcare, face a much higher vacancy rate, with 1,480 of 4,092 sanctioned posts, or around 36%, lying vacant.District-level gaps raise referral concernsPublic health experts said the shortage, concentrated at the district and secondary levels, could increase workloads on existing doctors and push more patients towards already crowded tertiary hospitals in Hyderabad and other major cities.“When district and secondary hospitals function at only 50% to 70% of their sanctioned doctor strength, patients inevitably bypass them for city hospitals, defeating the very purpose of a referral system,” said Dr Kiran Madhala, secretary general of the Telangana Teaching Govt Doctors Association (TTGDA).Experts also stressed that filling specialist posts in district hospitals should be the priority.“General-duty vacancies matter, but it is the absence of surgeons, gynaecologists and anaesthetists that most directly affects patient outcomes. At the current pace of recruitment, about 250 to 300 doctors a year, it could take several years to fill all vacant posts,” said a govt doctor.Wide gap between districtsThe district-wise break-up shows sharp disparities. Nizamabad and Vikarabad each reported vacancy rates of over 55% in secondary hospitals, while Khammam and Kamareddy recorded vacancy rates of around 46%.Hyderabad has 148 vacant posts out of 475 sanctioned positions, while 327 posts have been filled.Among teaching hospitals, Govt Medical College (GMC), Asifabad, stood out with nearly 73% of its sanctioned doctor posts vacant, followed by GMC Bhadradri Kothagudem with more than 55% vacancies. In contrast, Gandhi Hospital and Osmania Medical College reported no vacancies and were functioning above their sanctioned strength.
