HYDERABAD: Students at several government medical colleges across Telangana are facing inadequate infrastructure, overcrowded hostels, poor food and drinking water facilities, limited transport connectivity and shortages of faculty and laboratory equipment, raising concerns over the quality of medical education.
Junior doctors studying at these institutions said around 10 of the state’s 33 government medical colleges, including those in Vikarabad, Sircilla, Asifabad, Mulugu, Kamareddy, Khammam, Medak, Yadadri, Jogulamba Gadwal and Quthbullapur, were grappling with infrastructure and other basic facility shortages. The problems range from the absence of permanent college and hostel buildings to inadequate libraries, laboratories and clinical facilities.
At Government Medical College, Vikarabad, 16 to 17 girl students are sharing a large room in a temporary hostel, while some newly admitted students are being accommodated in partitioned corridors. Boys are also facing overcrowding, with three students sharing small rooms.
Students, who did not wish to be named, said the hostel roof leaks during rains and inadequate bathrooms make it difficult to get ready for classes and clinical postings. The absence of a hostel mess for the past two months has added to their difficulties.
Students have to buy all three meals from outside eateries or cook for themselves, leaving them with less time to study. They also pointed to inadequate lecture halls, the absence of an e-library, insufficient laboratory facilities, poor drinking water supply and inadequate washrooms. Transport is another concern.
The Government General Hospital and the Mother and Child Hospital are around five and seven kilometres from the college, respectively. Without dedicated college buses, students depend on public transport and autos to attend clinical postings. Unreliable services have resulted in students arriving late and missing clinical lectures.
Similar problems have been reported at other colleges. At Sircilla, students are sharing hostel rooms with inadequate study space and sanitation facilities, while transport to hospitals remains unreliable. In Khammam, temporary hostel rooms accommodate 10 to 12 students. The college is around 15 km from the Government General Hospital, with no college buses available.
At Medak, 10 to 22 students are reportedly sharing rooms in overcrowded hostels. Students have also raised safety concerns over snakes and scorpions near hostel buildings. The college operates from a private building with inadequate infrastructure, while shortages of faculty and laboratory facilities are affecting academic activities.
At Yadadri, students have flagged poor hostel hygiene, inadequate food facilities and a lack of transport. The college is around seven kilometres from the hospital. Jogulamba Gadwal is functioning without permanent college and hostel buildings, while students at Quthbullapur lack basic amenities, including a mess, canteen, dining hall, drinking water and recreational spaces.
Students have also highlighted faculty shortages, inadequate laboratory equipment, restricted library timings and the absence of digital library facilities at several colleges. These gaps are affecting access to study materials, practical training and clinical exposure.
Chandrakanth Narahari, general secretary of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA), said the deficiencies were affecting students’ academic performance, health and overall well-being. The association has urged the Directorate of Medical Education to intervene and improve infrastructure, provide adequate hostel and mess facilities, ensure transport connectivity and address faculty and laboratory shortages.