AP PHC doctors continue strike over 20 percent In-Service Quota demand till 2030

Vijayawada: Thousands of doctors working in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across Andhra Pradesh have been on a hunger strike. Although the government has agreed to increase the PG medical in-service quota from 15% to 20% for this year, the doctors have decided to continue their strike as the government has not assured that this quota will continue for the next five years, as they had demanded.

Earlier, the doctors had demanded a uniform 15% in-service quota across all specialities for the next three years to ensure fairness for PHC doctors pursuing postgraduate courses. This was because the quota had been reduced to 15% in only seven branches, compared to 20% across all specialities in the academic year (2025–26).

Now, the Andhra Pradesh PHC Doctors Association has demanded that the PG medical in-service quota be increased back to 20% and held a meeting with the government regarding this. During the meeting, the government agreed to allocate 20% of postgraduate (PG) medical seats under the in-service quota for government doctors for the current academic year only.

Also read- Andhra Pradesh PHC doctors announce hunger strike from October 3

Following this, the association demanded that the 20% quota be continued until 2030. However, the government refused, stating that it could not guarantee the continuation of the quota for such a long period. The government explained that extending the quota would not only affect direct-entry candidates but also put a financial burden on the state by requiring the absorption of all PG-qualified doctors into government service without enough vacancies.

Unhappy with this decision, the association announced that the strike would continue until their demands were met. Their key demands include a 20% in-service quota until 2030, time-bound promotions, mobile medical service allowances, and other service-related issues.

Medical Dialogues had reported that doctors working at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state announced a hunger strike on October 3, after the government failed to address long-pending issues related to promotions, allowances, increments, and other service-related concerns, are not addressed.

More than 2,800 PHC doctors have been on strike since September 29, and from Tuesday, doctors from district hospitals, community health centres, and health workers’ unions are expected to join them, according to the AP PHC Doctors’ Association.

The doctors said that they would continue the strike until the government gave them a written assurance that it would not go back on its word once again and keep the 20% quota for them in clinical branches fixed for the next five years, reports The Hindu.

Calling the doctors' demands 'unjustifiable', the health department previously deployed doctors from district and teaching hospitals to the PHCs to ensure zero disruption in providing medical services to the patients. However, these doctors are now going to participate in the strike.

In solidarity with the protesting doctors, doctors from district hospitals under the Directorate of Secondary Health (DSH) submitted their strike notices to the Health Department on Monday.

Health and Family Welfare Commissioner G. Veerapandian said the government is coming up with an alternative plan to ensure that the services in PHCs are not disrupted with the participation of DSH doctors in the strike.

He added that the government had agreed to the key demand of the agitating doctors and urged them to resume duties immediately. "The government is positive about addressing other demands, including time-bound promotions, tribal allowance, and service-related benefits. Orders will soon be issued to allocate 20% PG in-service quota in all clinical departments. However, the government cannot immediately assure continuation of the same till 2030," he added.

Dr. Veerapandian told TNIE that rejecting the government’s offer was unreasonable, especially when a comprehensive study on the long-term policy is already underway. The Commissioner revealed that between November 2024 and November 2027, about 1,089 postgraduate doctors will return to duty and serve as specialists in district, regional, and teaching hospitals.

“Currently, only 103 new posts are available - 100 assistant professor posts in teaching hospitals and three under the Secondary Health Directorate. This year, 258 doctors will benefit from the revised 20% quota,” he added.

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