Doctors’ associations oppose suspension after Jadcherla mortuary incident, seek systemic reforms

Doctors’ associations in Telangana have criticised the suspension of doctors following the incident at the Area Hospital in Jadcherla, Mahabubnagar district, where a stray dog entered the mortuary and nibbled on the finger of a decomposed body brought for post-mortem. The associations described the action as unfair and called for systemic reforms in hospital administration and procurement mechanisms.

In a statement issued on March 4, the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) said that the responsibility of operating and maintaining a mortuary on a 24-hour basis does not lie with doctors, whose duties are limited to conducting post-mortem examinations as per prescribed medical and legal procedures.

“The maintenance and security of mortuary facilities fall under the responsibility of designated staff such as health supervisors and other supporting personnel, and are supervised by the office of the hospital superintendent concerned. Holding doctors accountable for lapses related to mortuary infrastructure, maintenance or security is therefore unfair and unjustified,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) said that the failure to supply essential equipment even for basic facilities such as mortuaries reflects a serious administrative lapse. The association questioned who would be held accountable when hospitals do not receive critical equipment on time, stating that delays and excessive centralisation in the current procurement system are directly affecting patient care and hospital services.

Both the associations called for the immediate revocation of the suspension orders issued against the Area Hospital doctors, a fair and transparent inquiry to identify the actual administrative and infrastructural lapses, and urgent strengthening of mortuary infrastructure across government hospitals with proper buildings, modern freezer units and adequate support staff.