Vijayawada:
Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has warned that doctors who remain absent from duty for more than a year without informing authorities will be terminated from government service. He said strict disciplinary action would be initiated against those who fail to report to work even after appointments or transfers.
Strict Action Under New Norms
Addressing a review meeting with medical superintendents of government hospitals, principals of government medical colleges and officials of NTR University of Health Sciences, the minister said that such doctors would be referred to the Directorate of Medical Education and subjected to disciplinary proceedings after seeking an explanation.
Attendance Has Improved, Says Minister
The minister noted that attendance among doctors and health staff has improved by about eight per cent over the last 19 months. However, he stressed that attendance figures alone do not reflect the quality of healthcare services being delivered to the public.
Allegations Against Previous Regime
Satya Kumar Yadav alleged that during the previous YSRC government, many doctors remained unofficially absent from duty for periods ranging from two to four years, severely impacting healthcare delivery across the state. He said the present government was determined to address such lapses firmly.
Focus on Quality of Care and Monitoring
Referring to public feedback collected in December 2025, the minister said 60 to 70 per cent of patients expressed satisfaction with healthcare services and urged officials to bridge the remaining gaps. Health Secretary Saurabh Gaur said a real-time monitoring system for government hospitals and doctors would be introduced, adding that Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Vijayawada hospitals topped outpatient service performance last December.
