Staff of Community Health Centre Palvancha in Bhadradri Kothagudem district along with District Collector Jitesh V. Patil, his wife and their newborn child.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In a powerful endorsement of Telangana’s government healthcare, several senior bureaucrats and civil servants have chosen public hospitals over private facilities for treatment and childbirth this year — not out of compulsion, but conviction. Their choices are reshaping perceptions, showing that trust in the State’s healthcare system is no longer limited to the underprivileged, but shared by those who help shape public policy themselves.
In April, Peddapalli District Collector Koya Sree Harsha and his wife Vijaya welcomed a baby boy at the Government General Hospital in Godavarikhani, Ramagundam. According to District Medical and Health Officer Anna Prasanna Kumari, the new mother also received all her antenatal care at the same hospital, validating the family’s complete faith in public healthcare services.
A month later, Bhadradri Kothagudem district Collector Jitesh V. Patil and his wife Shraddha followed suit. Instead of heading to the district’s specialised Mother and Child Health (MCH) centre, the couple opted for the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Palvancha.
“Their decision to rely on a CHC rather than a tertiary facility highlights their confidence in Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) institutions,” said Ravi Babu, District Coordinator for Health Services.
In June, Karimnagar Collector Pamela Satpathy underwent a Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) along with a septoplasty at the Government General Hospital in Karimnagar, once again reinforcing faith in the State’s secondary healthcare infrastructure.
These aren’t isolated choices but part of a growing trend among senior civil servants who are placing trust in the system they help administer. The shift began years ago. In 2017, then Jayashankar Bhupalpally Collector Akunuri Murali admitted his daughter to the Government General Hospital in Mulugu, where she delivered a baby girl. Mr.Murali is now the chairperson of the Telangana Education Commission.
“At that time, government hospitals in the district were seeing just around 80 deliveries a month. Based on population demographics, we should have had about 850. Despite our efforts to improve the facilities, people were still hesitant to come. When my daughter was pregnant, I asked her if she would be willing to deliver at a government hospital. She agreed, and the following month, the number of deliveries jumped to 450,” said Mr.Murali.
“When public officials themselves choose government hospitals, it sends across a powerful message. It builds trust and shows the public that these facilities are not just functional, but reliable too,” he added.
In 2021, former Bhadradri Kothagudem Collector Anudeep Durishetty and his wife chose the Government Area Hospital in Bhadrachalam for the birth of their son. Mr.Durishetty later served as the Hyderabad Collector and is currently posted as Khammam district collector.
In 2022, Ila Tripathi, then Additional Collector (Local Bodies) of Mulugu district and present collector of Nalgonda district, delivered her child at the Government Area Hospital, Mulugu.
Published – June 17, 2025 12:30 p.m. on is
