Hyderabad: The Telangana Government Teaching Doctors Association (TTGDA) staged black-badge protests across multiple medical colleges in the state on Saturday. The demonstrations were in solidarity with Dr. Ramulu, the superintendent of Jagtial Government Hospital, who was recently humiliated and removed from his position by the district administration.
Protests Across Medical Colleges
Doctors at Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College, and government medical colleges in Khammam, Sircilla, Jagtial, Mahabubabad, and Karimnagar participated in the protest. They highlighted that the treatment meted out to a senior doctor was both unacceptable and damaging to the morale of medical professionals.
Repeated Instances of Mismanagement
The protesting doctors pointed to previous incidents where senior doctors holding administrative positions were mistreated by district authorities. In one such case, a superintendent in Kothagudem died of a heart attack five months after being removed over unproven allegations of financial irregularities. Another instance involved senior doctors in Narsampet facing similar humiliation, sparking outrage among the medical community.
A Call for Institutional Accountability
Dr. Kiran Madhala, Associate Professor at Gandhi Medical College, criticized the systemic mismanagement. “Doctors like Dr. Ramulu stepped up and handled administrative responsibilities efficiently for years, often under challenging circumstances. Instead of recognizing their contributions, they are being humiliated. Holding individual doctors personally accountable for institutional decisions harms morale and undermines the healthcare system,” he stated.
Demands by TTGDA
The TTGDA demanded that all allegations against Dr. Ramulu be withdrawn and his administrative and teaching positions reinstated. They also called for greater accountability from district administrators to prevent such instances in the future.
The protests underscore growing tensions between medical professionals and district authorities, with the TTGDA warning of further actions if their concerns are not addressed promptly.
