Telangana Hospitals Face Doctor Shortage Crisis

Telangana's Directorate of Services Health (DSH) is grappling with a severe staffing crisis, with 55% of doctor posts vacant. Out of 4,347 sanctioned positions, only 1,968 are filled, leaving 2,379 vacancies. This deficit means more than half of specialist roles in district and area hospitals remain unoccupied.

Health experts note that district hospitals operate at less than half their sanctioned strength, pressuring existing doctors and compromising care access. The state government plans to appoint 866 doctors soon, but this is unlikely to resolve the deep-rooted shortages.

A structural flaw in the recruitment process, where 692 Civil Assistant Specialist (CAS) posts and 174 Assistant Professor posts are offered simultaneously, exacerbates the issue. Candidates often apply for both, and the more attractive Assistant Professor roles are expected to lead to over 100 CAS posts remaining vacant.

This shortage disproportionately affects rural areas. Primary Health Centres and Basti Dawakhanas, often staffed by MBBS doctors, face bottlenecks when referring patients for specialist care to district hospitals. Patients who cannot afford to travel to Hyderabad are particularly impacted.

Recommendations for reform include an integrated counselling process allowing candidates to specify preferences, phased appointment orders, and an annual recruitment calendar. Experts emphasize that without structural changes, Telangana's secondary healthcare system will continue to face critical staffing gaps.