The Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association (T-SRDA) and the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) have opposed a government order issued by the Telangana government nominating senior health department officials as ex-officio members of the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC), demanding its immediate withdrawal.
The government order, issued on December 22, 2025 by Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu, states that in exercise of the powers under the Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968, the government has nominated certain ex-officio members to the TGMC. The eight nominees include the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Director of Medical Education (DME), Director of Public Health (DPH), Commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, Vice-Chancellor of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), Chief Executive Officer of Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust, a Special, Additional, Joint or Deputy Secretary to the Health Department, and the Director of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).
Reacting to the order, the HRDA said the move had increased the strength of the Council from 25 to 29 members, thereby altering its composition and pushing elected representatives of the medical profession into a minority. The association also raised concerns over the timing of the order, stating that the TGMC had recently taken a firm stand against quackery in the interest of public health, patient safety and ethical medical practice. “Instead of reinforcing these efforts, the government’s intervention risks diluting the Council’s regulatory authority and could hamper its functioning,” they said.
The T-SRDA echoed similar concerns, stating that the inclusion of non-medical individuals, including IAS officers, as ex-officio members undermined the independence and integrity of a statutory body entrusted with maintaining medical standards, ethics and professional discipline. “Such interference could weaken the autonomy of the Council and set an unhealthy precedent for regulatory oversight in the health sector,” they added.
Both associations reiterated their demand that the government withdraw the order.
Published – January 03, 2026 07:25 pm IST
