Doctors Associations Oppose More Govt Nominees in Medical Council
The Telangana Medical Council has written to the health secretary and is also expected to meet the health minister to present its version, as it is fundamentally restricted from holding press meetings.
Hyderabad: The medical fraternity has opposed the government’s move to appoint four additional ex-officio members to the Telangana Medical Council (TMC), over and above the existing four, as it would threaten the autonomy of the statutory body.
“We oppose the professionals who are being appointed as ex-officio members. Though they are doctors, they are part of the government, and bureaucrats with no medical qualifications have no place in the Telangana Medical Council,” said Dr Ashok, secretary, Indian Medical Association.
The opposition has been jointly voiced by the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), IMA–Telangana branch (IMA-TG), Telangana Junior Doctors Association (JUDA), Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association (SRDA) and Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA).
Warning of escalation, the medical bodies said that if the GO 229 was not withdrawn immediately, they would be compelled to launch statewide democratic protests and pursue legal remedies, including judicial review. They also announced the formation of a JAC to lead protests, legal action and advocacy until the order is withdrawn.
The associations recalled that in 2023 the Telangana High Court had clearly stated that elected members must remain in a decisive majority — 13 elected members — to preserve the autonomy, independence and statutory purpose of the Medical Council. Any executive action that disturbs this balance, they said, is contrary to constitutional principles and judicial guidance.
The doctors’ bodies said that the Medical Council was not a government department and that increasing the number of ex-officio members distorts the balance of power. They warned that the move would push elected doctor-members into a minority and weaken professional self-regulation.
The Telangana Medical Council has written to the health secretary and is also expected to meet the health minister to present its version, as it is fundamentally restricted from holding press meetings.