Protests by doctors of the Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGDA) over the appointment of the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) Superintendent took a new twist with doctors threatening to boycott medical duties if officials did not relent to their demands.
On Tuesday, nearly 100 doctors staged a day-long dharna in front of the office of the Director of Medical Education (DME), Dr. G. Shanta Rao, demanding the recall of the recently appointed Superintendent Siva Ram Reddy.
The TGDA members had proposed that till the issue was resolved, the government should appoint the present Principal of Osmania Medical College (OMC), Dr. Putta Srinivas, as in-charge Superintendent.
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“We have received the proposal from doctors. We are yet to take a decision, we are examining it,” Principal Secretary, Health, Medical and Family Welfare, L. V. Subramanyam said.
The TGDA charged that health authorities were not considering the seniority list, according to which Dr. Siva Ram Reddy was junior to the present Superintendent of Petlaburj Maternity Hospital, Dr. Suvarna.
“This is injustice to doctors from Telangana region, who are already outnumbered by doctors from other regions,” they said.
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Dr. Suvarna, hailing from the Telangana region, is among the top five in the seniority list.
“There are hardly five to six senior doctors from Telangana in the top 50 seniority list and the rest are from Seemandhra. Health authorities have been consistently ignoring seniority and appointing juniors from other regions especially to top posts in Government tertiary hospitals,” the TGDA claimed.
Health department officials were quick to downplay the episode, saying regional considerations did not matter.
“There is no need to consider seniority list, domicile or birth place while appointing doctors in in-charge positions or giving them additional charge. Dr. Siva Ram Reddy was made an in-charge and it’s not a permanent posting,” they said.
There was high drama at OGH on Monday when Dr. Siva Ram Reddy arrived to assume the role of in-charge Superintendent. Senior OGH doctors from Telangana staged a dharna and even made Dr. Suvarna sit in the Superintendent’s chair and to symbolically assume office later.