Telangana Govt Doctors express concern over lack of Transfer Guidelines

The transfer process has been shrouded in ambiguity, with no clear guidelines to ensure equitable treatment of government doctors, particularly those stationed in peripheral regions far from urban centres. The State government established a committee comprising senior health officials to address these concerns and formulate transfer guidelines. However, the committee has yet to submit its report.

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According to Telangana Today, Dr Kiran Madala, secretary general Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) stated, “There is a definite need to undertake general transfers in government hospitals. However, this process should have some parity. A government doctor working in a far-off healthcare facility in Nizamabad or Nirmal must also get an opportunity to opt his/her choice, just like a government doctor at OGH in Hyderabad or Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal. Transfers should be balanced, systematic, fair and transparent.”

Despite the absence of these guidelines, the State government has decided to proceed with the transfers starting Tuesday. Senior health faculty familiar with the issue have indicated that the current transfer process is unlikely to benefit those doctors who have been serving in challenging teaching hospitals for decades. Approximately 300 to 400 such doctors, including Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, were posted to new teaching hospitals around 7 to 8 years ago, reports the Daily. 

“However, they will never get an opportunity to exercise their transfer options because priority will be given to doctors in urban centres like Warangal and Hyderabad. How will you attract new talent in districts, if you don’t give priority to the present senior faculty, who have been working in districts for decades?” TTGDA said.

There is also a significant number of married couples who are both doctors and have been working in government teaching hospitals in Hyderabad and other major urban centers for decades. Gender-based norms dictate that female doctors should receive some protection and priority, ensuring that postings and transfers for both husband and wife are usually within the same districts. Additionally, women doctors are typically not posted to distant or isolated locations.

Another pressing issue is the situation of super-speciality government doctors in Hyderabad and Warangal. If these doctors are transferred, the teaching hospitals risk losing their PG medical seats. Consequently, many of these doctors have remained in Hyderabad for decades to maintain the accreditation and quality of their institutions.

The discontent among government doctors underscores the urgent need for the State government to establish clear, fair, and transparent guidelines for the transfer process. Ensuring that doctors who have dedicated their careers to serving in remote and challenging environments are treated equitably is crucial for maintaining morale and ensuring the continued delivery of quality healthcare across Telangana.