HRDA vents ire at govt’s order to nominate addl members to TGMC

Hyderabad: TheHealthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) issued a strong condemnation on Saturday against the Telangana government’s GO 229, which mandates the nomination of four additional ex-officio members to the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC). The association argued that the move fundamentally undermines the statutory autonomy, professional independence, and democratic character of the regulatory body.

By virtue of this government order, the council’s strength has been increased from 25 to 29 members. The HRDA contends that this artificially alters the council’s composition, effectively pushing elected medical representatives into a minority. They have described the action as a “backdoor takeover” that grossly violates the spirit of the Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968.

The timing of the order has also been called into question.

The TGMC has recently been leading an uncompromising anti-quackery drive to ensure patient safety and ethical practice. The HRDA suggests that instead of supporting these efforts, the government is attempting to dilute the council’s powers through executive interference.

A major point of alarm is that GO 229 paves the way for non-medical personnel and bureaucrats, including IAS officers, to occupy seats on the council. The association questioned how non-doctors could adjudicate professional misconduct or influence disciplinary proceedings. They warned that such a structure subordinates clinical judgment to bureaucratic authority, weakens enforcement against illegal practitioners, and ultimately endangers public health by destroying the council’s autonomous nature.