Private Healthcare in Telangana: A ‘Kamadhenu’ for Dominant Castes

T.Chiranjeevulu , IAS Ret 

The private healthcare sector in Telangana imposes a severe financial burden on the public. While government hospitals struggle with resource shortages and staffing deficits, failing to provide adequate services, the private sector is expanding unchecked, turning healthcare into a profit-driven enterprise. Exorbitant fees, unnecessary tests, and harsh billing practices are drowning ordinary people in debt.1. Data & Current Situation

• Telangana: Over 1,000 multi-specialty private hospitals, 4,000 clinics, and 500 diagnostic centers.
• Hyderabad: More than 165 corporate hospitals with 12,000 beds, mostly offering tertiary and super-specialty services.
• Public Sector: 2 district hospitals, 26 teaching hospitals, 72 area hospitals, 97 community health centers, 82 primary health centers, 4,745 health sub-centers, 4 ESI hospitals, and 14 specialized hospitals.

2. Loss of Trust in Public Healthcare

• NSSO Survey (75th Round): 75.1% of rural and 81.7% of urban hospitalizations occur in private hospitals. Overall, 78% of treatments and 83% of surgeries take place in the private sector.

3. Exploitation by Private Hospitals

• Costs: Normal deliveries cost ₹60,000–₹1,50,000, while cesarean deliveries reach up to ₹2 lakh. During COVID, ICU and bed charges soared, with some hospitals charging ₹1 lakh per day. Treatments for cancer, kidney, and heart conditions financially devastate families.
• Profiteering: Private hospitals generate profits worth thousands of crores.

4. Tacit Approval of Authorities

• Regulation: Despite the Clinical Establishments Act, enforcement is weak. Powerful hospital lobbies and their legal and political connections render medical authorities ineffective, denying justice to patients.

5. Dominance of Upper Castes

• Ownership: Most private hospitals and medical colleges are controlled by Velama, Reddy, and Kamma castes. These dominant castes have monopolized the healthcare sector, exploiting BC, SC, and ST communities under the guise of providing services.
• Examples:
  1. Apollo Hospitals – Pratap C. Reddy (Reddy)
  2. Yashoda Hospitals – G. Ravinder Rao (Velama)
  3. KIMS & Sunshine Hospitals – Bollineni Bhaskara Rao (Kamma) & Guruva Reddy
  4. Continental Hospitals – Guru N. Reddy (Reddy)

6. Social Justice

• The majority of Bahujans rely on government hospitals, but high private hospital fees force them to sell assets or forego treatment altogether.
• The notion of “Vaidyo Narayano Hari” (doctors as divine healers) has vanished, with healthcare now a commercial enterprise.

7. Government Collusion

• Private hospitals receive land at nominal rates, subsidies, and incentives under hospital promotion and industrial policies, yet provide negligible low-cost services to the public.

8. Exploitation in Medical Education

• Private Medical Colleges: Telangana has 26 private medical colleges, predominantly owned by Reddys (7), Velamas (5), Kammas (4), and minorities (5). No SC or ST ownership.
• Fees: 30% of seats (15% B-category, 15% NRI quota) are sold at exorbitant rates under management quotas, generating billions. This forces middle-class families to take loans or sell assets to afford medical education.
• Public vs. Private: Telangana has 35 government and 26 private medical colleges. Lack of infrastructure in government colleges erodes public trust, while private colleges charge over ₹1 crore, turning education into a commodity.

9. Solutions

• Healthcare Rights Law: Regulate private hospital charges.
• Strengthen Public Sector: Increase investments to provide super-specialty services at the district level and bolster primary and secondary healthcare.
• Strict Action: Enforce penalties on non-compliant hospitals.
• Social Awareness: BC, SC, ST, and Bahujan communities must unite politically to curb this exploitation.

ConclusionHealthcare is a right, not a business. The private healthcare sector, dominated by upper castes, is exploiting the masses. Bahujans must awaken and use political power to reform this system.Major Hospitals in Hyderabad (Ownership)

1. Apollo Hospitals – Pratap C. Reddy (Reddy)
2. Yashoda Hospitals – G. Ravinder Rao (Velama)
3. KIMS & Sunshine Hospitals – Bollineni Bhaskara Rao (Kamma) & Guruva Reddy
4. Care Hospitals – Private Company
5. Medicover Hospitals – Harikrishna (Kamma)
6. Rainbow Hospitals – Ramesh Kancharla (Kamma)
7. Continental Hospitals – Guru N. Reddy (Reddy)
8. Star Hospitals – Dr. Gopichand Mannam (Kamma)
9. AIG Hospitals – Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy (Reddy)
10. Kamineni Hospitals – Suryanarayana (Kamma)
11. Global Hospitals – K. Ravindranath (Kamma)

Private Medical Colleges in Telangana (Ownership)Of the 26 private medical colleges:

• Reddys: 7
• Velamas: 5
• Kammas: 4
• Minorities: 5
• BCs: 2
• Raju: 1
• Tamilians: 2
• SC/ST: None

These institutions, backed by upper-caste political influence, charge exorbitant fees, exploiting Bahujans while amassing wealth. Political empowerment is the only solution to end this exploitation.