Telangana’s Healthcare Backbone On Strike: Junior Doctors Demand Dignity, Pay, And Reform

Image Source : The Indian Express

In a dramatic escalation of long-standing grievances, junior doctors across Telangana have announced an indefinite statewide strike starting June 30. Representing all 34 government medical colleges, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) has declared that the strike will continue until their core demands—ranging from unpaid stipends to infrastructure gaps—are addressed. The move threatens to paralyze public healthcare services across the state, with undergraduates, postgraduates, house surgeons, and senior residents all set to participate.

Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the crisis and its far-reaching implications.

Key Demands And Flashpoints

- Stipends for PGs, house surgeons, and senior residents have been pending for over three months
- GO Ms No 59, which mandates a stipend hike effective January 2025, remains unimplemented
- TJUDA is demanding a green channel mechanism to ensure stipend disbursal by the 10th of every month
- Arrears from January 2025 remain unpaid, despite repeated assurances from the state government
- Infrastructure gaps, including incomplete buildings and lack of basic amenities, persist in several colleges
- Faculty shortages are affecting both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education
- Delays in scholarships and fee reimbursements for minority, SC, ST, and BC students are adding financial strain

Why The Strike Matters

Junior doctors form the operational core of Telangana’s public healthcare system. Their absence could severely disrupt services in government hospitals, especially in emergency and inpatient care.

- Doctors report working over 36-hour shifts under extreme physical and mental stress
- Many colleges lack water supply, transportation, and even functioning buildings
- Inadequate faculty recruitment is compromising academic quality and violating national medical standards
- Private medical colleges are also reportedly irregular in stipend disbursement, compounding the crisis

Government Response And Stalemate

Despite two meetings with the Health Minister in June and multiple representations since November 2024, TJUDA claims that no tangible progress has been made. The association has now demanded:

- Immediate issuance of a government order and finance department circular to institutionalize timely stipend payments
- Implementation of the revised stipend structure and clearance of all pending arrears
- Inclusion of student representatives in infrastructure review committees
- Publication of an annual recruitment calendar and urgent hiring to meet faculty norms

Public Health At Risk

The strike is expected to impact:

- Outpatient and inpatient services across 34 government medical colleges
- Emergency care, especially in tertiary hospitals like Osmania and Gandhi
- Academic schedules and clinical training for thousands of medical students

With the clock ticking toward the June 30 deadline, the Telangana government faces mounting pressure to act decisively. The junior doctors, meanwhile, remain firm in their stance: they are not just demanding pay—they are demanding dignity, infrastructure, and a system that values their contribution.

Sources: The Hans India, Telangana Today, Times of India, The New Indian Express, Hyderabad Mail, MSN India