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Hyderabad: The Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) has expressed strong resentment over the state government’s decision to suspend medical staff following an incident in which a stray dog allegedly mutilated a body kept in the mortuary of the Area Hospital in Jadcherla, Mahabubnagar district.
Senior office-bearers of the association on Wednesday said the action against doctors was an attempt to find a scapegoat instead of addressing systemic issues.
The TGGDA alleged that the Telangana State Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGMSIDC) had failed to provide adequate infrastructure required for storing bodies in government hospital mortuaries.
According to the association, many government hospitals in Telangana continue to struggle with outdated equipment, rusted machinery and delays in procurement of essential facilities.
Senior doctors said that medical professionals can only function effectively when proper infrastructure is available, and failures such as the absence of secure doors or functioning mortuary freezers point to lapses in infrastructure management rather than medical negligence.
Doctors also pointed to a letter written by Dr. K Chandrakala, Superintendent of the Jadcherla Area Hospital, who has since been suspended. In the letter dated April 30, 2025, addressed to the TGMSIDC Executive Engineer, she reportedly stated that the newly constructed mortuary building had not yet been handed over to the hospital.
She had also requested essential equipment, including three-body freezers for storing remains, a mortuary table and lockers for viscera, doctors said. Senior health authorities are yet to respond to the letter, which has surfaced in recent days.
The controversy followed an incident in which a stray dog allegedly mutilated a body kept in the hospital mortuary. A video of the incident circulated widely on social media, triggering public outrage.
State health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha ordered an inquiry into the incident. Acting on the minister’s directions, Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Commissioner Dr. Ajay Kumar visited the hospital and conducted an investigation, collecting statements from the deceased person’s family members, police personnel, eyewitnesses and hospital staff.
Following the preliminary inquiry, authorities suspended hospital superintendent Dr. K Chandrakala, Resident Medical Officer Harinath, and mortuary supporting staff member Raviprakash for alleged negligence.
A show-cause notice was also issued to duty doctor Munisha.
Officials said measures would be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring.
This post was last modified on March 4, 2026 6:26 pm