TG Health dept. faced decade-long neglect and staffing crisis: Minister

C. Damodar Raja Narasimha
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The Telangana government has reaffirmed its commitment to revamping Gandhi Hospital and other State-run hospitals to the level of corporate healthcare facilities. As part of this initiative, ₹80 crore have been earmarked for infrastructure upgrades at Gandhi Hosptial, with a new hostel foundation to be laid soon, Minister for Health C. Damodar Raja Narasimha announced on Monday.

This announcement followed the appointment of a fact-finding committee by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to assess medical services across the State. The minister highlighted recent improvements at Gandhi Hospital, including a 65-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a 20,000-litre liquid oxygen tank, upgraded electrical systems, and a modernised kitchen. The hospital’s IVF centre, which had been without an embryologist for years, has now filled the position.

The minister also highlighted its focus on transparency, pointing out that the previous administration had left significant issues unaddressed. So far, ₹15 crore have been spent on hospital improvements this year, while ₹45 crore in unpaid bills from the previous regime remains outstanding. The Minister underscored the neglect of Gandhi Hospital during the last decade, noting long-standing problems such as unrepaired toilet blocks, the absence of a Building Maintenance Fund, and a lack of appointments for critical technicians like ECG and MRI specialists.

In addition, the minister revealed that there was no budget allocated for drugs or surgical tools at Gandhi Hospital in the two years preceding the current government’s tenure, with essential equipment like lifts, water pumps, and mortuary facilities remaining in disrepair. The previous government had initiated projects, such as the Mother and Child Health (MCH) building and two organ transplantation centres, but failed to appoint the necessary staff or provide basic amenities.

He also criticised the earlier administration’s rushed decision to establish 25 new medical colleges in just three years without proper staff or infrastructure. Of the required 3,368 staff, only 1,078 were recruited, leading to severe understaffing. “Many colleges lack basic facilities like faculty and buildings, placing additional strain on the healthcare system,” the Health Minister noted, adding that staff from existing institutions like Gandhi, Osmania, and Kakatiya Medical Colleges had to be reassigned to keep operations running.

Defending its track record, the Health Minister stated that it had filled 7,308 positions across various medical departments and is in the process of recruiting 5,660 more. Additionally, 612 assistant professors are being hired to fill vacancies, and 643 teaching staff have been recruited for Gandhi, Osmania, and Kakatiya Medical Colleges on a contractual basis. The Finance department has sanctioned 19,530 posts under the Director of Medical Education, of which fewer than 1,500 had been filled by the previous government, the minister said.