The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a strong warning against prolonged absenteeism among healthcare professionals in government healthcare institutions. It has cautioned that doctors who remain absent from duty for more than a year without prior authorization will face termination from service.
Earlier, in December 2025, the Andhra Pradesh government initiated proceedings to terminate the services of 62 government doctors who allegedly remained absent from duty for over a year without prior permission.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav made the announcement during a State-level review meeting held on Friday, January 10, 2026, with medical superintendents of government hospitals, principals and administrators of government medical colleges, and officials from NTR University of Health Sciences.
The Health Minister said that although attendance among doctors and health staff has improved by over 8 per cent in the last 19 months but attendance alone cannot be used as a measure of healthcare quality.
“Patient experience and public opinion are equally crucial in assessing the performance of government hospitals,” Satya Kumar Yadav stressed.
Referring to the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government’s tenure, the Minister alleged that a significant number of doctors remained unofficially absent for two to four years, which severely impacted the quality of healthcare services across the State.
“As per the new norms, doctors who remain absent without intimation for more than a year will be removed from service,” he warned. Doctors who fail to report to duty after appointment or transfer within the stipulated time will be surrendered to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), followed by disciplinary action after seeking an explanation.
Notices will be issued to such doctors asking why they should not be removed from service, the Minister added.
Citing public feedback collected in December 2025, Satya Kumar Yadav said that 60-70 per cent of patients expressed satisfaction with services at Government General Hospitals (GGHs). He urged hospital administrators to address the remaining 30-40 per cent dissatisfaction.
According to official data, December 2025 recorded:
44 per cent growth in outpatient visits
40 per cent increase in surgeries
150 per cent rise in diagnostic tests
Health Secretary Saurabh Gaur said that systems are being developed to monitor hospitals and doctors in real time using technology. He added that under Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s “continuous care” principle, integrated healthcare services across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels would be ensured without disruption.
In outpatient services, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, and Vijayawada ranked in the top three, exceeding targets by over 100 per cent, while Nellore, Machilipatnam, and Eluru ranked at the bottom.
The Minister also stressed the need to improve the quality of medical education in government colleges. He urged institutions to participate in NIRF rankings, conduct regular faculty evaluations, and invite experts from premier national institutes for student training.
NTR Health University Vice-Chancellor Chandrasekhar said that efforts were underway to strengthen research work in medical colleges.
The meeting also reviewed:
Hospital sanitation
Monitoring of cleaning agencies
Auditing of security staff
Prevention of corruption
Scientific budgeting for free drug procurement
Unusually high post-COVID oxygen usage in some hospitals
Better maintenance of biomedical equipment
Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh government had initiated proceedings to terminate 62 government doctors who allegedly remained absent for over a year without permission.
The Director of Medical Education (DME), G Raghunandan, provisionally decided to terminate 12 associate professors, 48 assistant professors, and two tutors for violating service and leave rules.
“The Andhra Pradesh government has begun proceedings to terminate the services of 62 government doctors for remaining away from duty for over a year without prior authorisation,” Raghunandan said in a press release, as quoted by PTI.
(Rh/VK)
