Medical aspirants from Telangana remain anxious over seats in govt hospitals

Students aspiring to get into medicine course are anxious as teh Government continues to delay the decision on reserving the seats for local students

Hyderabad: Deserving medical aspirants from Telangana continue to remain anxious over chances of getting a medical seat in government hospitals of Telangana, even as the health department continues to delay taking a decision to reserve MBBS medical seats exclusively for local students, which is the case in most of the Indian States including Andhra Pradesh.

Till last year, medical seats in the existing government medical colleges, which were established before 2014 like Gandhi Medical College and Osmania Medical College, were open for students of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh due to AP Reorganization Act, 2014.

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However, by July 2, 2024, after completion of a decade, the AP Reorganization Act, 2014, has expired, which provides an opportunity for TS State health department to reserve MBBS seats in these medical colleges for Telangana students.

Senior officials familiar with the issue said even before the completion of 10 years of AP Reorganization Act, last year an order reserving medical seats in government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh for local students, was issued.

Realising the need for quick action before counselling commences, Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) has made reservations in UG medical seats as a major demand in their strike notice.

“How can we allow AP students to join in 15 per cent of medical seats that increased in medical colleges in Telangana after June 2, 2014. There is a need for fair adherence of admission practices for aspirants of Telangana,” says president, TJUDA, Dr CH G Sai Sri Harsha said.

Before statehood, Telangana region had 20 medical colleges (both private and government) with a total of close to 2,850 medical seats. Based on various kinds of estimates, local aspirants are likely to lose-out on anywhere between 500 and 800 medical seats, if the State health department does not reserve seats for Telangana students.

According to senior doctors familiar with the issue, in addition to MBBS seats, the local aspirants of Telangana are also likely lose nearly 200 PG medical seats, if the Congress government continued to delay the issue.