Telangana has 2,238 vacant doctor posts across its government teaching and secondary hospitals, leaving nearly 30% of 7,515 sanctioned positions unfilled, according to health department data tabled in the legislative council. The shortage is most severe in secondary hospitals, which form the backbone of district-level healthcare and are intended to handle patients before referral to tertiary centres in Hyderabad and other major cities.
The data was provided in response to a question raised by BRS MLC Naveen Kumar Kurumaiahgari. Telangana has 203 government hospitals, including 35 teaching hospitals, 16 speciality hospitals and 152 secondary hospitals, with a combined bed strength of 36,984.
Teaching hospitals attached to government medical colleges had 758 vacancies out of 3,423 sanctioned doctor posts, amounting to about 22%. Secondary hospitals had 1,480 vacancies out of 4,092 sanctioned positions, taking their vacancy rate to around 36%.
The distribution of vacancies varies sharply between districts. Nizamabad and Vikarabad reported vacancy rates of more than 55% in their secondary hospitals, while Khammam and Kamareddy recorded rates of about 46%. Hyderabad had 148 vacant posts out of 475 sanctioned positions, with 327 posts filled.
The concentration of vacancies at the district level has raised concerns about pressure on existing doctors and the functioning of the referral system. Dr Kiran Madhala, secretary general of the Telangana Teaching Govt Doctors Association, said hospitals operating with only 50% to 70% of their sanctioned doctor strength could lead patients to bypass district facilities for city hospitals.
The specialist workforce is a particular concern, according to doctors quoted in the report. The absence of surgeons, gynaecologists and anaesthetists can restrict the procedures and emergency services available at district hospitals, even when general-duty positions are filled. A government doctor said recruitment was currently taking place at a rate of about 250 to 300 doctors a year and that filling all vacant posts could take several years.
The gaps also extend to some government medical colleges. Government Medical College, Asifabad, had nearly 73% of its sanctioned doctor posts vacant, while Government Medical College, Bhadradri Kothagudem, recorded vacancies of more than 55%. By contrast, Gandhi Hospital and Osmania Medical College reported no vacancies and were functioning above their sanctioned strength.
The figures place the staffing capacity of secondary hospitals at the centre of Telangana’s public healthcare delivery system. The data tabled in the legislative council does not specify a recruitment deadline or a separate timeline for filling specialist and general-duty posts.
