Brain drain fear grips as Telangana transfers 44 senior professors to peripheral colleges

The Telangana Health Department has transferred 44 senior-grade Professors from major tertiary hospitals to peripheral medical colleges. Doctors fear this could affect healthcare quality and postgraduate training in city hospitals, with few qualified replacements available in the short term

Hyderabad: In yet another move seen as a measure that could trigger fresh uncertainty over the quality of healthcare and medical education in top tertiary hospitals in urban centres of Telangana, the Health Department on Tuesday issued orders transferring 44 senior-grade Professors to peripheral medical colleges.

Many of the senior-grade Professors who received new postings are already heading their respective medical departments in top tertiary hospitals like Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal and Gandhi and Osmania General Hospital (OGH) in Hyderabad. This has raised fears among doctors familiar with the issue that if these professors accept the new postings, their departments may become directionless.

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In the orders, the Health Department accorded temporary promotions to the senior-grade Professors, designating them as Additional Directors of Medical Education, Principals of Medical Colleges, and Superintendents of Teaching General Hospitals, and posted them to newly established peripheral medical colleges in districts.

“These promotions have been pending since 2021-22. While it is, in one way, a welcome decision to promote the senior professors, it remains to be seen how many senior doctors will accept the new postings and promotions. The quality of postgraduate medical education in existing tertiary hospitals relies on such senior professors. This raises questions about who will now oversee the PG students?” said senior doctors familiar with the issue, on condition of anonymity.

As per National Medical Commission (NMC) norms, it takes a minimum of seven years for an Assistant Professor to become a Professor. At present, based on inputs from senior doctors, there are not many senior Associate Professors available who can fill the vacuum that may arise if senior-grade Professors move to peripheral medical colleges.

“We must realise that Telangana medical education in the government sector will experience these challenges for a few more years because of the new medical colleges. Every other Indian state is experiencing this kind of situation. Hopefully, these difficulties will settle down in a year or two,” another senior doctor said.