Doctors’ Recruitment in AP Fast Tracked With Transparent Online Counselling

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Health minister Satyakumar Yadav on Sunday announced that for the first time, 638 doctors will be appointed to the posts of civil assistant surgeon (CAS) through online counselling, ensuring transparency and efficiency in public healthcare recruitment.

The minister said the online counselling of candidates with MBBS qualifications will be conducted with the support of AP Online. “The entire process, from counselling to issue of posting orders, will be fully digital and transparent,” Satyakumar underlined.

The online counselling will commence on Monday and conclude within a swift 34-hour timeframe.

Out of the total 638 posts, 611 positions will be filled immediately through automated allotment based on candidates’ preferences and applicable government norms, including reservation policies. The remaining posts, particularly those under the sports quota, will be filled separately after verification.

Highlighting the advantages of the new system, the Health minister pointed out that the earlier recruitment processes involved physical attendance at counselling centres or Zoom-based counselling. These required extensive logistical arrangements and consumed time.

The shift to online counselling is aimed at improving accessibility for candidates, enhancing transparency, and significantly reducing processing time.

Candidates are required to submit their preferences for available hospital postings in order of priority, with no restriction on the number of options they can exercise. The option-entry window will remain open from 11 a.m. on Monday to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, spanning 31 hours. Following this, posting orders will be automatically generated and sent to candidates’ registered email addresses within two to three hours.

According to Director (Public Health) Dr. Padmavathi, selected candidates must report to the respective District Medical and Health offices or teaching hospitals within 15 days of receiving their appointment orders. Certificate verification will be conducted at the reporting centres. All appointments will be on a permanent basis.

The recruitment includes positions for medical officers in Primary Health Centres and tutors at teaching hospitals, with 124 posts earmarked for the latter category.

For details, candidates may visit the official websites of the Health department, Directorate of Medical Education, and the recruitment board.