HRDA Receives 30 Complaints Over Non-MBBS Duty Doctors in Telangana Hospitals

The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) in Hyderabad has received at least 30 complaints alleging that private hospitals and nursing homes across Telangana have appointed non-MBBS-qualified individuals as duty medical officers.

The complaints primarily focus on nursing homes and multispecialty hospitals that reportedly hire paramedical staff and AYUSH practitioners to manage allopathic cases in emergency and casualty departments. According to the association, these appointments are often made to reduce operating expenses, as non-MBBS personnel can be hired at lower salaries.

Following the influx of complaints, the HRDA has urged the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) to intervene. The association requested the regulatory body to issue strict directives ensuring that private hospitals, nursing homes, emergency centres, and diagnostic facilities appoint only qualified and registered MBBS doctors as duty medical officers and casualty medical officers.

Dr Karthik Nagula, president of the HRDA, emphasised that allopathic treatment must strictly be administered by doctors holding an MBBS qualification. He stated that practitioners of Ayurveda, homeopathy, and Unani should remain confined to their respective medical systems rather than handling allopathic emergency cases.

Dr Nagula noted that duty medical officers are typically the first healthcare professionals to assess and treat patients arriving in emergency conditions. He expressed concern that engaging unqualified staff in these roles compromises overall patient care, pointing out that individuals without proper allopathic training may not understand the fundamental principles of diagnosis and medical treatment, a practice he described as mixopathy.