The inefficiency of health department officials has turned the process of moving files into a corrupt system where paramedical staff face long delays unless they pay bribes. Despite repeated complaints, lower-level medical workers, such as nurses and paramedics, continue to struggle due to bureaucratic hurdles.
In Mahabubnagar district, even under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s leadership, the situation remains dire. Health officials ignore the genuine concerns of medical staff, and even urgent cases based on humanitarian grounds remain unresolved for years unless money is involved.
One nursing officer has been trying for three years to get a transfer because her son suffers from a severe mental health condition. Doctors have recommended round-the-clock monitoring, yet she is assigned night shifts, making it impossible for her to care for her child.
Despite submitting multiple applications to the Directorate of Public Health (DPH), her file has been ignored. However, those with influence or money get their postings and transfers approved without any trouble.
“This system is completely broken. If you have the right connections, your file moves instantly. If not, you are made to suffer indefinitely,” said a senior medical staff member.
Government rules allow transfers based on family medical needs, but DPH officials continuously ignore these guidelines. In one case, a nursing officer has been stuck at the Government Dental College Hospital for 12 years without a transfer, raising concerns about favoritism.
At the same time, officials have quickly issued transfers as disciplinary actions, even though government rules prohibit such transfers during a ban period.
A major issue contributing to this problem is the Foreign Service Deputation (FSD) scam. Officials falsely claim that only FSD postings are available while secretly filling regular positions through backdoor deals. Medical staff who want to work in Hyderabad, a preferred location due to family and educational facilities, are forced to pay hefty bribes or wait indefinitely.
The Health Minister’s office has instructed the DPH to provide a suitable posting for the struggling nursing officer. However, these directions have been ignored, and instead, an FSD posting was given to another nurse from Warangal who had better connections.
Union leaders and paramedical staff have strongly condemned this situation, urging Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha to take immediate action.
“It is disgraceful that such injustice is happening in Mahabubnagar, the CM’s own district. If medical staff can’t get basic administrative justice, how can we expect quality healthcare for the public?” asked S.K. Prasanna Kumari, a leader of the medical workers’ union.
With corruption and official negligence affecting the system, health workers continue to suffer, and ultimately, patients bear the consequences of a failing bureaucracy.
