Andhra Pradesh to dismiss 43 Govt doctors for prolonged unauthorised absence

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has announced stringent disciplinary action against 43 Civil Assistant Surgeons (CAS) for prolonged unauthorised absence from duty at government hospitals across the state.

According to the news reports, the Health Department said the doctors, some of whom have reportedly been absent for up to four years, will be permanently dismissed from service after failing to respond to official show-cause notices and formal charges. The Minister stated that the government will not tolerate medical professionals compromising public healthcare services by remaining away from their designated posts without authorisation.

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This action follows a similar crackdown last month by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), which led to the dismissal of 51 doctors from various government teaching hospitals across the state.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that in a major disciplinary crackdown, the Andhra Pradesh government has dismissed 51 doctors working in teaching hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) for remaining absent from duty without authorisation for prolonged periods.

Officials said the current phase of disciplinary proceedings targets specialists across departments, including General Medicine, Orthopaedics, and Gynaecology. According to records, 118 government doctors were found to be absent without authorisation. Under state service rules, absence beyond one year without approval can lead to termination.

Apart from the 43 doctors facing termination, 34 others submitted resignations after receiving show-cause notices and formal charges. The government is expected to accept 15 of these resignations, while the remaining 19 cases will be reviewed under the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules, 1991. For this purpose, 11 district-level inquiry officers have been appointed to investigate their conduct.

Director of Secondary Health, Chakradhar Babu, clarified that further actions will be determined based on the explanations requested from these doctors and the subsequent reports submitted by the inquiry officers, reports TNIE.

Officials further noted that 19 doctors cited personal reasons for their absence, which will also be verified through inquiry. Meanwhile, nine doctors have already reported back to duty, and the cases of 13 others are currently under review by the government.

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