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The Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) on Friday, June 5, withdrew its statewide protest against the ongoing transfer process after state health minister Damodar Raja Narasimha assured the association that appropriate steps would be taken to address its concerns. Doctors across the state had protested at major government hospitals, including Osmania General Hospital and Gandhi Hospital, as well as district hospitals across the state.
Expressing confidence in the government's response, the association said all medical services, including outpatient (OP), inpatient, emergency and surgical care, would continue as usual across government hospitals from Saturday, June 6 onwards.
Earlier in the day, the TGGDA had staged protests across Telangana, alleging that the provisions of Government Order (GO) 38 issued were not being implemented in letter and spirit during the transfer exercise. The association had also announced a statewide bandh and suspension of OP services as part of its agitation.
What does GO 38 say?
GO 38 was issued on April 21, 2026 and applied to all government job transfers, including doctors, between the period from May 1 and May 31, 2026. The GO emphasised ‘transparency, counselling-based allotment and clearly defined eligibility criteria’.
Under the GO, employees who have completed three years at a station as of January 1, 2026 become eligible for transfer, while those who have completed more than four years at the same station are generally required to be moved, subject to certain exemptions.
The protesting doctors point to the provision primarily dealing with the ‘priority criteria’ prescribed under GO 38. The order gives first preference to husband-and-wife cases when multiple employees seek the same posting, to enable spouses to work in the same or nearby locations.
It also accords priority to employees nearing retirement, persons with disabilities, widows, employees with children with mental health issues, and those seeking transfers on specified medical grounds.
Addressing the media at Osmania General Hospital, TGGDA member Dr Bongu Ramesh said several categories of doctors eligible for priority consideration were facing difficulties in exercising their transfer options. He particularly highlighted issues related to the spouse criterion, under which husbands and wives are expected to be posted in the same or nearby locations. “Importantly, cases where both spouses are doctors have a right to work within the same geography,” he said.
According to the association, despite repeated representations to senior officials and the health Department over the past month, concerns regarding spouse-category transfers and request transfers remained unresolved.
