Why government doctors in Telangana are protesting over transfer process

Government doctors in Telangana have intensified protests over the implementation of transfer guidelines under G.O.Ms.No. 38. Doctors' associations allege arbitrary changes to transfer rules, demand physical counselling, and seek protection for long-serving rural doctors.

Hyderabad: At the heart of the ongoing protests by government doctors in Telangana, which led to the suspension of outpatient services on Friday, are allegations that the State Health Department is failing to properly implement G.O.Ms.No. 38, which is the official government framework issued by the Finance Department to regulate state employee transfers.

Senior doctors under the umbrella of the Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) and the Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) allege that the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Directorate of Public Health (DPH), and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) are attempting to bypass the rules of G.O.Ms. 38 by introducing arbitrary guidelines.

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The TGGDA alleges that doctors who have served diligently for years in rural or peripheral areas are being denied fair opportunities due to these sudden administrative changes.

According to the protesting doctors, health officials have attempted to redefine ‘focal’ (preferred/prime locations) versus ‘non-focal’ (peripheral/rural locations) posts. The TGGDA leadership has warned senior State health authorities against changing these definitions, stating it has the potential to breed discrimination, favoritism, and widespread resentment across the state’s medical framework.

While the State government has moved the transfer process online, doctors are experiencing a massive trust deficit due to technical issues. According to the TGGDA, the web portals do not display all existing or upcoming vacancies clearly. Consequently, both the TGGDA and TTGDA are demanding offline, physical face-to-face counselling to maintain absolute transparency.

Another major demand of the government doctors is the protection of the interests of long-serving doctors in rural areas.

The TTGDA pointed out that during the 2024 transfer cycle, many city-based doctors were shifted to peripheral areas. Under the spirit of G.O. 38, those who have spent years serving the rural public are now legally entitled to return to Hyderabad or nearby zones—an opportunity they claim is currently being stalled by administrative delays.

“Doctors working in rural areas should not face mandatory, forced shifting unless they voluntarily ask for it or another doctor steps up to take that specific posting. We need transparency, not sudden, selective rule changes behind closed doors,” said Dr. B. Narahari, State President, TGGDA.

Key demands of government doctors:

• Strict adherence to G.O.Ms.No. 38 to transfer doctors
• No new criteria, hidden conditions, or selective implementation.
• Physical counselling should be taken up by scrapping online allotment
• Provide proper exemption orders to 186 recognised association office-bearers
• TGGDA asks doctors to boycott the process and withhold their transfer option forms