Andhra Health Minister Orders Action Against Absent Doctors, Sets 3-Month Deadline

Andhra Pradesh Health, Medical and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has directed officials to act against doctors and department staff who have been absent from duty for long periods, setting a maximum window of three months for action against the 493 doctors identified as unauthorisedly absent.

The instructions came during a review meeting at the APIIC building in Mangalagiri on Monday. The Minister said employees must produce certification from government doctors to justify illness or leave, and made clear that medical certificates and recommendations from private practitioners would not be accepted.

The directive followed information that staff shortages were causing excessive delays in clearing files. Since the TDP-led NDA government assumed office, 4,410 matters were brought to the Minister's attention, most of them relating to transfers, but only 40% of those files have been disposed of.

Yadav said that where delay is traced to an individual's inaction, an explanation should be sought and disciplinary action taken if warranted. He also stipulated that no file should remain pending at any level for more than two days. The meeting decided to develop a dashboard to monitor the status of files.

Principal Secretary G. Veerapandian, Joint Secretary Ronanki Gopalakrishna, Drug Control Administration Director General Arun Babu and others attended the review.