VIJAYAWADA: Revealing that there is 60 to 70% positive response from patients pertaining to medical services in Government General Hospitals (GGHs), Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Y Satya Kumar Yadav has underlined the need to ensure that there is total satisfaction among people.
Holding a State level meeting with superintendents of all government teaching hospitals and principals of medical colleges at Dr NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada on Friday, he made it clear that the absence of doctors without prior permission will not be tolerated, and the government will not hesitate to remove them from service.
Though there is 8% growth in the attendance of doctors and other medical staff due to the efforts made by the NDA government for the past 19 months, it could not be taken as a criterion to assess the quality of medical services in GGHs, and it is important to take the feedback of patients into consideration, he said.
He directed the GGH superintendents to surrender the doctors who failed to join duty in the place of posting or transfer within the stipulated time to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME). After taking the explanation of surrendered doctors, disciplinary action should be taken, if necessary. Notices should be issued to the doctors who abstain from duty for prolonged period without authorisation, the Health Minister said.
Satya Kumar Yadav suggested that the principals lay greater emphasis on improving the quality standards in government medical colleges.
Besides continuous assessment of the functioning of faculty, expert doctors working in eminent health institutions across the country should be invited to conduct technical sessions in the government medical colleges, the Health Minister said.
Secretary (Health) Saurabh Gaur said the government is setting up a new system to monitor the functioning of government hospitals and doctors in real time. The GGHs surpassed the set targets in December 2025. Outpatient services were provided to 9,45,653 people against the target of 6,54,875, registering 44% growth.
Similarly, the GGHs achieved a 40% growth in conduct of surgeries, and 150% rise in diagnostic tests. The GGHs in Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Vijayawada achieved more than 100% of target, while the GGHs in Nellore, Machilipatnam and Eluru stood at the bottom of the list, the Health Secretary explained.