Doctor shortage, poor emergency care crippling Hyderabad government hospitals, says HRF

Raising concern over the deteriorating state of public healthcare in the State capital, the Hyderabad City unit of the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has urged the Telangana government to take immediate measures to address shortage of doctors, inadequacy of infrastructure and poor emergency services across major government hospitals here.

In a representation addressed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, HRF vice-president Syed Bilal said some of the State’s most important public healthcare institutions, including Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, MNJ Cancer Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, the Government Maternity Hospital at Koti, and the Modern Government Maternity Hospital at Petlaburj were struggling to cope with overwhelming patient load amid severe resource constraints.

“Despite the heavy inflow, the availability of doctors is grossly inadequate with some casualty services being managed by a single doctor. This makes it impossible to provide timely and adequate care, resulting in long waiting hours, severe patient distress and avoidable suffering,” the representation said.

The forum also flagged shortages in basic hospital infrastructure and support services. “Wheelchairs and stretchers are insufficient, forcing relatives to physically carry critically ill patients in the absence of trained support staff. Of particular concern is the shortage of oxygen cylinders in emergency settings, which is a direct threat to patient safety,” they added.

The representation further highlighted the urgent need to increase bed capacity in these hospitals, noting that a significant amount of medical equipment is either faulty, under prolonged repair or in need of complete replacement. As a result, even essential diagnostic procedures are reportedly delayed by two to three days.

HRF called for immediate government intervention seeking urgent recruitment and deployment of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, attenders, ward boys and security personnel, along with augmentation of bed capacity, repair and upgrading of medical equipment, and assured availability of medicines, oxygen cylinders, wheelchairs and stretchers.