Telangana doctors urge govt to regularise medical faculty recruitment: Warn shortage hurting education, healthcare in govt colleges; 26 of 34 institutions face NMC notices for deficiencies

HYDERABAD: The medical community in Telangana has called on the state govt to implement a regular recruitment calendar for appointing doctors-cum-professors in govt medical colleges.Each year, around 1,100 postgraduate (PG) doctors complete their training in the state, but due to the absence of consistent govt job notifications, many are forced to seek employment in private hospitals or outside Telangana. Doctors warn that this irregularity is destabilising medical education, demotivating junior faculty, and adversely impacting healthcare delivery in govt hospitals.

The appeal comes at a time when the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued show-cause notices to 26 out of the 34 medical colleges in Telangana.

The notices were based on deficiencies in infrastructure, clinical parameters, and faculty shortages. Dr K Brahmeshwar, president of the Healthcare Reforms Doctors' Association (HRDA), pointed out that many departments in govt medical colleges are running with only assistant professors, often appointed on a temporary or contractual basis."In Hyderabad, both Gandhi and Osmania Medical Colleges are facing a shortage of faculty in some departments.

While some departments don't have faculty at all. One reason for this shortage could be the transfer of faculty from these major colleges to newer institutions on the city's outskirts. However, most peripheral colleges currently only have undergraduate students and do not yet require senior faculty. On the other hand, colleges in districts like Nirmal, Kamareddy, and Nizamabad are struggling with severe faculty shortages," he said.Last recruitment held in 2022He added that the last recruitment drive for 200-250 assistant professors took place in 2022, following a High Court petition. According to the HRDA, there are currently around 450-500 teaching faculty members working across Telangana's 34 medical colleges, while the required number is between 750 and 800. As per NMC norms, every clinical department in a medical college must have at least three faculty members: a professor, an associate professor, and an assistant professor.

Of the 34 govt medical colleges in Telangana, eight were established in late 2024, each with an intake of 100 MBBS students. The total number of MBBS seats in these colleges stands at 4,215. However, there have been ongoing concerns that the state is expanding its medical infrastructure too rapidly, without matching it with adequate facilities and staffing.A senior govt doctor, citing anonymity, said: "If the govt continues to open new colleges, there must also be regular recruitment to keep pace with annual retirements. "