Published Sep 10, 2026 | 9:49 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 10, 2026 | 9:58 PM
Six government medical colleges have more than half of their required doctor posts vacant.
Synopsis: Telangana government hospitals have 2,238 vacant doctor posts, with sharp differences across districts and facilities. While Osmania and Gandhi medical colleges in Hyderabad have 71% more doctors than sanctioned, GMC Asifabad has 73% vacancies. Secondary hospitals face a 36.2% vacancy rate based on the department’s figures.
Telangana’s government hospitals have 2,238 vacant doctor posts, according to data placed before the Legislative Council on 10 September.
The reply, given to a question by MLC Naveen Kumar Kurumaiahgari, states that Telangana has 203 government hospitals, including 35 teaching hospitals, 16 speciality hospitals and 152 secondary hospitals. The government also said secondary and tertiary hospitals together have 36,984 beds.
The staffing data reveals differences between institutions and regions. While two of Hyderabad’s government medical colleges have more doctors than their sanctioned strength, several colleges outside the capital have more than half of their required posts vacant.
Telangana has 35 government medical colleges and teaching hospitals, with 3,423 doctor posts sanctioned. Of these, 2,942 are filled while 758 posts are vacant, according to the department’s institution-wise data.
Gandhi Medical College and Osmania Medical College, both in Hyderabad, have no vacancies. OMC has 372 doctors against 168 sanctioned posts, while Gandhi hospital has 204 against 168.
Together, the two colleges have 576 doctors against a combined sanctioned strength of 336, giving them 71% more doctors than the posts allotted.
The surplus extends beyond Hyderabad’s two government medical colleges.
GMC Yadadri, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, has 79 doctors against 59 sanctioned posts, while GMC Maheshwaram in Rangareddy district has 73 against 59. Both colleges are located in districts adjoining Hyderabad, adding two more institutions near the capital where the number of doctors exceed the sanctioned strength.
Also Read: Hyderabad food safety crackdown: Five FSSAI licences suspended in Kukatpally
Meanwhile, six government medical colleges have more than half of their required doctor posts vacant.
GMC Asifabad has 62 vacant posts against 85 required, leaving 72.9% of posts unfilled.
GMC Kodangal, in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s constituency, has 34 vacancies against 59 required posts, or 57.6%.
GMC Bhadradri Kothagudem has 63 vacancies against 114, or 55.3%. GMC Jayashankar Bhupalpally has 45 vacancies against 85, or 52.9%. GMC Mahbubnagar has 75 vacancies against 142, or 52.8%. GMC Narayanpet has 30 vacancies against 59, or 50.8%.
GMC Mahabubabad has 57 vacancies against 114 sanctioned posts.
The erstwhile Mahabubnagar region includes Mahbubnagar, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal. Among the medical colleges in these districts, Mahbubnagar has 52.8% vacancies, Narayanpet 50.8%, Wanaparthy 44.7% and Nagarkurnool 22.8%.
GMC Karimnagar and GMC Nalgonda have reported no vacancies. GMC Narsampet has two vacancies against 59 required posts, while GMC Sangareddy has four against 114.
The Directorate of Secondary Health Hospitals has 4,092 sanctioned posts across 33 districts. Of these, 2,612 have been filled while 1,480 are vacant.
Nizamabad has 142 vacancies against 253 sanctioned posts.
Vikarabad has 98 vacancies against 176 sanctioned posts. Adilabad has 47 vacancies against 95 posts. Khammam has 114 against 246, while Kamareddy has 84 against 183.
Hyderabad has 148 vacant posts among its 475 sanctioned positions, while 327 positions have been filled. Rangareddy has 98 vacancies against 291 sanctioned posts.
Together, Hyderabad and Rangareddy account for 246 of the 1,480 secondary-hospital vacancies, or 16.6% of the state total.
Karimnagar has three vacancies against 40 sanctioned posts. Rajanna Sircilla has four against 41, while Hanumakonda has six against 60.
The district-wise figures show differences between staffing at teaching hospitals and secondary hospitals.
In Nizamabad, the government medical college has six vacancies against 114 sanctioned posts. Its secondary hospitals have 142 vacancies against 253 sanctioned posts.
In Vikarabad, the medical college has nine vacancies against 85 sanctioned posts, while secondary hospitals have 98 vacancies against 176 posts, a 55.7% vacancy rate.
Khammam’s government medical college has 11 vacancies against 85 sanctioned posts. Its secondary hospitals have 114 vacancies against 246 posts.
Adilabad’s RIMS has 19 vacancies against 114 sanctioned posts. Secondary hospitals in the district have 47 vacancies against 95 posts.
The figures show that staffing at a medical college does not necessarily correspond with staffing at secondary hospitals in the same district. The reply does not provide reasons for the difference.
Asifabad and Bhadradri Kothagudem have vacancy rates above 40% at both the teaching-hospital and secondary-hospital levels.
GMC Asifabad has 62 vacant posts against 85 required. Secondary hospitals in the district have 47 vacancies against 115 sanctioned posts.
GMC Bhadradri Kothagudem has 63 vacancies against 114 required posts. Its secondary hospitals have 87 vacancies against 206 sanctioned posts.
Mulugu has nine vacancies against 37 sanctioned secondary-hospital posts, while Jayashankar Bhupalpally has eight against 34.
Also Read: Xylitol linked to higher cardiovascular risk: Should Indians rethink the ‘healthy’ sugar substitute?
The four districts that formed part of the erstwhile Karimnagar district show vacancy rates below 25% across their listed government medical colleges.
GMC Karimnagar reports no vacancies. GMC Jagtial has 26 vacancies against 114 sanctioned posts, while GMC Rajanna Sircilla has 21 against 85.
The secondary-hospital figures for the same districts are three vacancies against 40 sanctioned posts in Karimnagar, four against 41 in Rajanna Sircilla, 16 against 75 in Jagtial and 21 against 91 in Peddapalli.
The Mahbubnagar region shows a different distribution. Mahbubnagar and Narayanpet have more than half of their medical-college posts vacant, while Wanaparthy has 44.7% of the posts vacant and Nagarkurnool has 22.8% of the posts vacant.
At the secondary-hospital level, Jogulamba Gadwal has 26 vacancies against 61 sanctioned posts. Nagarkurnool has 56 against 132, while Wanaparthy has 16 against 55.
Nizamabad, Vikarabad, Khammam and Adilabad have teaching-hospital vacancy rates below 17%, while their secondary-hospital vacancy rates range from 46.3% to 56.1%.
Asifabad and Bhadradri Kothagudem have vacancy rates above 40% at both levels.
The four districts from the erstwhile Karimnagar region have teaching-hospital vacancy rates below 25%, while their secondary-hospital rates range from 7.5% to 23%.
The figures also show a difference within Hyderabad. Its two government medical colleges have doctors above their combined sanctioned strength, while the district’s secondary hospitals have 148 vacant posts.
Across Telangana, the 2,238 vacant doctor posts are spread unevenly across institutions and districts, with six government medical colleges reporting vacancy rates above 50% and Nizamabad recording a 56.1% vacancy rate in its secondary hospitals.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
