Hyderabad: It may be recalled that a PIL was filed between Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association represented by its President Dr K. Mahesh Kumar and the State of Telangana, Directorate of Medical Education and Telangana State Medical Services Infrastructure to develop a new multi-storied state of the art buildings in place of the existing dilapidated Osmania General Hospital structure.
According to Dr Mahesh successive heads of state Government from 2010 have issued GO and made public statements that the existing OGH Building is in the dilapidated condition that a major portion of the building is rendered unusable due to safety concerns.
Osmania General Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in India and was build by the Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan designed by British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in Indo Saracenic style.
Presently it is a tertiary care teaching hospital which has become the beacon of hope to lives of millions of people who come for treatment from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka states. Established on 26.5 acres of land on banks of Musi river it has a bed strength of 1400 catering to over 8 lakhs outpatients and 52000 inpatients annually. It is also a premier educational institution with about 2000 students of medical and paramedical courses working in the hospital. It has 11 major blocks. it is a heritage structure
Dr Mahesh said that since 2015 itself the second floor is non-operational as the building is unsafe Only Ground plus the first floor are operational.
He said that there is no decision whether the Existing building will be demolished or another new building will be constructed adjacent at 7.5 acres of land in the vicinity. Since there was no clarity a PIL was filed in 2019 to either demolish the Old Building and build a new one or to come up with a new building on the adjacent land of 7.5 acres which was already approved in 2013 with financial approval of Rs. 200 crores
He said that during heavy rains flooding of the building and also due to the structure being old and in dilapidated conditions they have requested the Government to come out with a solution in the interest of the people and their safety and sort out the issue as early as possible. About the building being a heritage structure he said that there are procedures in HMDA act in which structures can be demolished.
He reiterated that there has to be some solution and a time-bound limit for construction of a new building either in the place of Old structure or even at the 7.5 acres of land. Whatever decision is given by the Court the Association will abide but is seeking a time-bound program for construction from the Government he added. He reiterated that there has to be some solution and are hoping for the same.