Telangana issues show-cause notices to 32 government doctors for absenteeism while working in other institutions

The Telangana Director of Medical Education (DME) has issued show-cause notices to 32 faculty members of government medical colleges after finding that they had been absent from duty for more than a year while simultaneously working in various other institutions. The notice, dated November 7, states that the prolonged unauthorised absence violates service rules and amounts to a deemed resignation from government service.

According to the notice, reports submitted by principals and superintendents of teaching hospitals revealed that several assistant professors, tutors and senior faculty across departments such as anaesthesia, general medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiology, urology and neurosurgery had disengaged themselves from government duty while continuing to work elsewhere.

Out of the 32 doctors, seven are from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Adilabad, two are from the GMC Bhadradri Kothagudem, five from GMC Kamareddy, 11 belong to GMC Jagtial and seven from GMC Sangareddy.

“The absence of doctors from high-dependency departments has caused inconvenience to the hospital administration and people have been deprived of the medical care in a government hospital/college,” the notice said.

Invoking Fundamental Rule 18 and the Telangana Leave Rules of 1933, the DME has provisionally decided to terminate the services of the doctors from the date of their unauthorised absence. Before final orders are issued, the individuals have been directed to appear in person and submit an explanation within 15 days of receiving the notice. Failure to do so will be taken as an admission that they have no defence to offer, the notice warns.