Telangana Doctors demand Annual Recruitment to tackle Faculty Crunch

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.