Hyderabad: More than half of all sanctioned doctor posts in Telangana’s district and area hospitals remain vacant, with 55% of positions unfilled in the state’s secondary healthcare system, according to data tabled by the government in the Legislative Council.
The data shows that of 4,347 sanctioned posts under the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), only 1,968 are currently filled, leaving 2,379 vacancies in facilities that serve as the primary point of secondary-level care for a large segment of the population.
The figures, placed on record by the government itself, highlight a significant gap between sanctioned capacity and actual staffing levels in public hospitals, particularly in district hospitals where patient loads are high, and access to care is most critical.
Govt highlights recruitment push
Responding to questions raised by members in the Legislative Council, Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha said the government is actively filling vacancies across categories.
“All necessary posts, including doctors and nursing officers, are being filled in government hospitals. Around 10,000 posts have been filled over the past two years, and recruitment for over 7,000 more posts is in the final stage,” he said.
The minister’s statement underscores an ongoing large-scale recruitment effort aimed at strengthening the public health workforce. However, a closer look at the detailed annexure submitted alongside the government’s reply reveals that the scale of vacancies remains substantial and uneven across different tiers of the system.
Statewide vacancy at 38%
Across Telangana’s four-tier public health system, a total of 5,625 doctor posts remain vacant out of 14,633 sanctioned positions, translating to an overall vacancy rate of 38%.
These tiers include primary care under the Commissioner of Health (CHO), primary care under the Director of Public Health (DPH), secondary care under TVVP, and tertiary care under the Director of Medical Education (DME).
While shortages exist across all levels, the burden is not evenly distributed. The secondary tier stands out as the most severely affected, both in percentage terms and in its impact on patient care.
District hospitals worst hit
The 55% vacancy in TVVP hospitals makes it the most understaffed segment of Telangana’s public health system. With fewer than one in two sanctioned doctor posts filled, district and area hospitals are effectively operating at less than half their intended capacity.
These facilities play a crucial role as referral centres for primary health institutions and as the first point of access to specialist care for many patients. The shortage of doctors at this level has direct implications for service delivery, waiting times, and the overall burden on higher-tier hospitals.
Acknowledging the gap, the minister said that recruitment for 1,616 specialist doctor posts in TVVP hospitals is currently underway and is expected to be completed within a month.
Faculty shortages in medical colleges
The tertiary care sector, which includes teaching hospitals and medical colleges, has the largest absolute number of vacancies, with 2,786 posts unfilled out of 7,745 sanctioned positions, a vacancy rate of 36%.
Rajanarsimha attributed part of this shortfall to a structural issue arising from the rapid expansion of medical colleges in the state.
According to the minister, there is a shortage of doctors eligible for associate professor and professor posts as per National Medical Commission norms, making recruitment to these positions difficult.
To address this, the government has filled 1,200 teaching posts on a contract basis and issued a notification to recruit 607 assistant professors regularly, with the process expected to be completed by April.
Primary care gaps and a key anomaly
At the primary care level, shortages are relatively lower but still significant. The CHO segment has a 20% vacancy (145 posts), while the DPH segment has a 17% vacancy (315 posts). Together, these account for 460 missing doctors at the first point of contact in the healthcare system.
However, one aspect of the data stands out. The DPH tier, despite having 315 vacant posts, currently has no recruitment underway. It is the only segment in the entire public health system where no corrective hiring process is in progress, raising concerns about how these vacancies will be addressed.
Recruitment may not fully bridge the gap
The annexure shows that 2,410 doctor recruitments are currently in progress across all tiers. While this represents a significant effort, it is not sufficient to eliminate the overall shortage.
Even if all ongoing recruitment is completed as planned, Telangana is expected to still have a net shortfall of around 3,001 doctor posts.
This indicates that while the recruitment drive may reduce the gap, it will not fully resolve the structural shortage in the system, particularly in high-burden segments such as district hospitals.
Nursing and allied staff recruitment
Beyond doctors, the government has also focused on strengthening other segments of the healthcare workforce.
The minister said more than 7,000 nursing officer posts have already been filled, and recruitment for another 2,312 posts is expected to be completed by April. Over 1,500 lab technician posts have also been filled in the last two years.
These measures, he said, are part of a broader effort to improve service delivery in government hospitals and ensure better healthcare access for economically weaker sections.
“The government’s goal is to provide better medical services to the poor through government hospitals,” Rajanarsimha said.
Private medical shops under scanner
Addressing a separate concern raised by Council members, the minister said the government has not granted any new permissions for private medical shops within government hospital premises since coming to power.
He added that efforts are being made to remove existing shops, although some continue to operate after obtaining stay orders from courts. These will be removed once legal clearance is obtained.
At the same time, the government is promoting generic medical shops to ensure the availability of affordable medicines to the public.
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