TG govt looks at alternatives to Osmania General Hospital

Hyderabad : The Telangana government is having an alternative plan for the construction of the Osmania General Hospital as the authorities are in the process of identifying a new place for the hospital in case of an adverse judgment from the Court.

The issue of the construction of the Osmania General Hospital has been a contentious one, with doctors facing problems with the dilapidated building, which falls under the heritage category. The State government filed an affidavit with the court in September 2023 in favour of the demolition of the building. The affidavit said that the old building was unfit for any kind of patient care, and it has to be razed down along with the other satellite buildings for the development of an alternative hospital of 35.76 lakh square feet. The Congress government has also endorsed the decision of the previous BRS government to construct a new building.

However, a few heritage conservationists filed writ petitions opposing the demolition. They said that any plans for development should be centered on the preservation of the historic character of the city. They wanted renovation of the building instead of razing it down.

The present bed capacity of Osmania is 1100, which decreased after the old building was vacated due to the deteriorating situation of the building. The government now wants to have over 1,800 beds to effectively handle the patient load. The medicos have also expressed concern over the dilapidated condition, expressing danger during the working time.

According to a senior official, “The government was ready to take up demolition and construct a new hospital but was waiting for orders from the court. Sources said that the government was now taking up alternative measures to find suitable places in the city. Officials feel that the court may not allow razing down the building as part of protecting the heritage site. The identification of the new place was under process, and we were seeking suggestions from various quarters.”

Earlier, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had said that the government would go by the decision of the High Court on the heritage building and would wait till the court gives its verdict.