Telangana junior doctors flag maternity leave hurdles and certificate delays, seek intervention

The Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (TJUDA) has submitted representations to the Telangana government and the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), highlighting long-standing issues affecting junior doctors across the State.

The association has sought immediate intervention on challenges faced by female post-graduate doctors during maternity leave, as well as prolonged delays in the issuance of academic certificates to medical graduates.

According to the association, there are no clearly defined or uniformly implemented university norms governing maternity leave, extensions and the rejoining process. This lack of clarity has led to inconsistent practices across medical colleges, with women post-graduates being subjected to delays and financial hurdles after completing the mandatory three-month maternity leave. “Female doctors are reportedly required to pay a rejoining fee of ₹15,000 and then wait 15 to 20 days or more for university approval, during which time they are often denied access to academic, clinical and departmental facilities,” the representation said.

The association also highlighted severe financial and health-related hardships. No stipend is paid during the extension period following maternity leave, and even after the extension is completed, stipends are delayed by 4 to 5 months. “Adding to the distress, female post-graduates are not permitted to avail casual leave during the extension period, even in cases of medical emergencies or child-related health issues, despite having eligible leave balances,” it said.

The association also raised concerns over prolonged delays in the issuance of academic certificates, including Original Degree certificates, Migration Certificates, Transfer Certificates and Marks Memos. “Despite students completing courses such as MBBS, MD/MS, BDS and allied health science programmes, certificates are often issued six months or later after declaration of results. Ideally, these documents should be issued within one month.”

The association further added that the delays have resulted in graduates missing opportunities for higher education, fellowships, employment, council registrations and overseas academic or professional prospects.