End of Autonomy? : Telangana Doctors Unite Against Govt Interference in Telangana Medical Council
A major confrontation has erupted between the Telangana government and the medical fraternity over G.O. Ms No. 229, a new order that appoints four additional bureaucrats (including IAS officers) as “ex-officio” members to the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC).
Doctors’ associations (including HRDA, T-JUDA, and IMA) argue that flooding the council with non-medical officials effectively destroys its autonomy, converting a self-regulatory professional body into a government department.
The medical community is particularly alarmed because this move increases the council’s strength from 25 to 29, pushing elected doctor representatives into a minority (13 elected vs. 16 nominated/ex-officio).
Leaders allege this is a “backdoor attempt” to control the council’s disciplinary powers and stall its ongoing anti-quackery drive, which has recently targeted politically connected unqualified practitioners.
In a rare show of unity, multiple associations held a joint press conference warning of a statewide strike if the order is not immediately revoked. They contend that non-medical bureaucrats lack the clinical expertise to judge medical negligence or ethics cases, and their inclusion violates the Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968, which mandates a doctor-led council.
