VIJAYAWADA: In a major boost to public healthcare in Andhra Pradesh, the State government has appointed 227 in-service doctors who recently completed their postgraduate studies to 142 secondary hospitals.
The announcement was made on Sunday as part of a targeted effort to address the acute shortage of specialist doctors in secondary-level facilities, who play a pivotal role in delivering essential medical services to rural and semi-urban populations.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav expressed satisfaction with the development, stating that the postings mark a major step forward in strengthening healthcare infrastructure. Out of 243 secondary hospitals in the State, 142 have now been reinforced with specialist doctors.
The detailed allocation plan was presented to the Minister by Secondary Health Director KVN Chakradhar Babu and Public Health Director Dr Padmavathi.
The 227 newly appointed specialists include 35 gynecologists, 35 general medicine experts, 30 general surgeons, 26 anesthesiologists, 25 pediatricians, 18 orthopedicians, 17 radiologists, 15 ophthalmologists, nine ENT specialists, one dermatologist, and one pathologist.
Gudur Area Hospital received the highest number of specialists with four postings, comprising a pediatrician, radiologist, dermatologist, and pathologist. Seven community health centres (CHCs) and six area hospitals have been allotted three specialists each, while 31 CHCs, 13 area hospitals, and three district hospitals received two specialists each. Another 97 hospitals have been assigned one specialist each.
In a parallel development, 155 specialist doctors will soon join 100 community health centres (CHCs), with 60 deployed to 33 area hospitals, 10 to seven district hospitals, and two to maternal and child health (MCH) hospitals through a counselling process.
These appointments stem from a batch of 257 PHC doctors who enrolled in various PG courses as in-service candidates in 2022–23. Upon completion of their studies, 227 have been posted to secondary hospitals, while the remaining 30, due to unavailability of suitable vacancies, have been appointed as tutors in hospitals under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME).
The Minister hailed the large-scale postings as a milestone in bridging the gap in specialised healthcare at the secondary level, assuring citizens of improved access to quality medical services in the near future. The new specialists are expected to assume their duties shortly, bringing renewed hope to thousands of patients dependent on government hospitals.