Telangana issues show cause notices to 115 govt doctors over unauthorised absence

Hyderabad: Taking strict action over prolonged unauthorised absence, the Telangana Director of Medical Education (DME) has issued show cause notices to 115 doctors working in government medical colleges and attached hospitals across the State.

DME A. Narendra Kumar stated that notices were served to doctors who had remained absent from duty without any prior approval for varying durations. Following the issuance of notices, a meeting was called to consider their explanations and ascertain whether they were willing to continue in government service.

Of the 115 doctors, 20 responded and have since rejoined duty after expressing their willingness to continue. One of the doctors currently pursuing an MCh in Urology will be taken back into service after completing the super-speciality programme, bringing the total number of doctors who have either rejoined or are set to rejoin to 21.

According to a report by The Hindu, the remaining 94 doctors neither attended the meeting nor responded within the given time. “However, a decision has been taken to give them another opportunity to respond to the show cause notice, as some may not have turned up due to various reasons, including being stationed outside their place of posting,” he said.

Among the 94 doctors who did not come to the meeting, several have reportedly been absent for various years, ranging from 2013 to 2024. In six instances, the doctors concerned had not joined duty at all despite receiving appointment orders.

These 94 doctors include assistant professors and associate professors from a broad spectrum of departments such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Medicine, General Surgery, Anaesthesiology, Paediatrics, Radiology, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Urology, Cardiology, Pathology, Community Medicine, ENT, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Pharmacology, Hospital Administration and Physiology.

They were posted in major government institutions, including Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical College, Niloufer Hospital, and MGM Hospital, as well as in government medical colleges across Sangareddy, Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Khammam, Ramagundam, Hanumakonda, Siddipet, Mahabubabad, Nizamabad, Jangaon, Bhadradri Kothagude,m and Asifabad districts.

According to the official orders, show cause notices had earlier granted the doctors 15 days to explain why their services should not be terminated or why they should not be removed from government service with effect from the date of unauthorised absence. After reviewing the responses received, the competent authority found the explanations unsatisfactory. The DME has now directed heads of the respective institutions to serve termination orders at the doctors’ permanent addresses and ensure compliance with the instructions.