Telangana doctors announce statewide strike against GO 229

Hyderabad: To oppose Government Order (GO) 229, which appointed four additional government officers as ex officio members of the Telangana Medical Council, doctors across the state have decided to launch a statewide strike and submit mass representations to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chief Minister’s Office, Union Health Ministry and Telangana Health Department.

As an initial step, doctors across the state will continue wearing black badges to show their protest. The associations stated that TADA-JAC will lead further agitation if the government fails to respond to their demands.

As part of the initial phase of protest, doctors across Telangana will continue wearing black badges as a mark of dissent. The associations also resolved to submit mass representations to the Prime Minister's Office, the Chief Minister's office, the Union Health Ministry and the Telangana Health Department. The newly formed body will spearhead further action if the government does not respond to their demands.

Also read- Telangana doctors protest medical council expansion, warn of autonomy loss

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that GO 229, issued by the Telangana Health Department on December 22, 2025, nominates four government officers as ex officio members of the TGMC. At present, the 25-member TGMC consists of 13 elected members, six government nominees, two representatives from Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), and four ex officio government officials. With the addition of four more ex officio members under GO 229, the total number of state government–nominated ex-officio members has increased to eight.

The expansion has raised concerns among young doctors over the council's independence, with many arguing that the move dilutes the role of elected representatives.

The medical fraternity in Telangana expressed strong anger and disappointment over the inclusion of non-doctors and bureaucrats in the council, which, according to them, compromises the autonomy, independence, and representative nature of the council and goes against established judicial principles that safeguard the functioning of autonomous professional regulatory bodies.

To oppose the order, doctors formed the new joint committee during a round-table meeting held at the IMA Hall in Koti. Representatives from several medical associations attended the meeting, including Telangana IMA, HRDA, TJUDA, T-SRDA, TDF, RDA–NIMS, NNF, ISA, IADVL, IAP, NMO, THANA, TGAFM, IRIA and IMA–JDN, reports TOI.

The associations unanimously condemned the government order and warned that if the government remains unresponsive, the agitation will be intensified. This may include a phased boycott of medical services in both government and private hospitals. They also said legal action in the Telangana High Court would be taken as a last option.

While assuring that patient care will not be compromised, doctors stressed that the independence of the Telangana Medical Council is non-negotiable. They urged the state government to hold discussions with stakeholders and withdraw the order in the larger public interest.

Also read- Govt doctors stage black badge protest against Telangana Medical Council expansion