Hyderabad: Following Governor Dr T Soundararajan’s concerns about the deteriorating condition of Osmania Hospital, Health Minister Harish Rao convened a meeting with public representatives and senior officials to discuss obtaining permission from the High Court for the construction of a new building. However, health officials are now grappling with the decision of whether the new building should be constructed on open land or if the promise should be fulfilled by demolishing the existing structure.
In response to this situation, activists have filed a petition in the Telangana High Court to protect the heritage building, leading to a stay on the demolition action. During the Health Minister’s meeting, it was decided that the existing building would be demolished if deemed necessary. However, obtaining permission from the court for demolition is expected to be a challenging process.
Governor Soundararajan has proposed the renovation of the existing building along with the construction of a new building on adjoining open land. However, the government has yet to file an affidavit in the Telangana High Court, and there is currently no fixed timeline for doing so. It is anticipated that the health department will need at least a month to prepare the affidavit.
With the monsoon season underway and heavy rains expected, concerns are mounting about the safety of the existing Osmania Hospital building. In response to these concerns, the Osmania Hospital Joint Action Committee has demanded immediate action from the government to commence construction of the new building. The committee is composed of doctors, paramedical staff, students, and nurses, and they expressed disappointment over the government’s lack of progress in building a new facility over the past eight years.
During a visit to Osmania Hospital in 2015, Chief Minister KCR pledged to construct a new building. Dr. Pandu Naik, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee, emphasized that providing improved facilities to patients remains the primary objective of the medical community. Despite repeated appeals from the action committee, the government has yet to fulfill its promise, prompting growing frustration among healthcare professionals.
The fate of Osmania Hospital and its future construction plans now rests with the Telangana High Court, as both sides present their arguments and seek a resolution to ensure the best possible healthcare facilities for the people of Hyderabad.
