New block sans tinkering with OGH heritage: Harish Rao

Hyderabad:The State government will take up construction of a new block in Osmania General Hospital (OGH) without disturbing the age-old heritage of building as recommended by the committee formed on construction of the new hospital.

This was announced by Health Minister T Harish Rao who visited OGH on Thursday to inaugurate the scheme of Rs 5 meal facility to attendants of patients in government hospitals. He said the committee had given a preliminary report; the government was waiting for the final report. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had first visited OGH and released the budget for the new premises. After seeing the report, the CM will take a decision on construction of the new block without disturbing the heritage of the building."

Rao said the CM while visiting the Gandhi Hospital during corona times saw the plight of attendants of patients taken a decision to provide food to them three times a day. About 20,000 attendants are expected to consume food every day. The government provides subsidy of Rs 21 for a meal to the Hare Krishna Movement, which takes care of cooking and supply.

The minister inaugurated the Rs 5 meal facility to attendants of patients in the hospital. The attendants would be provided meals three times a day in 18 government hospitals across the city.

Rao said "the CM was a man with a kind heart". Immediately after coming to power, he provided Re.1 a kg rice to all members of a family without any ceiling. Earlier, the ceiling was 20 kg per family, but now six kg per person in a family is provided. The food in the SC, ST, BC hostels was stale then, but now the government is providing super fine rice, he said. "The government is giving pensions to old, widows and others. Telangana is the only State which provides financial assistance for marriages of poor girls The minister said the diet charges were also increased by the government, resulting in a burden of Rs 43 crore annually.Earlier Rao inaugurated LV Prasad Eye hospital at Kismatpur in Gandipet mandal. He called upon the management of LV Prasad Eye Institute to expand its services across the State. He launched a modern diagnostic vehicle worth Rs 1.3 crore. People of Rajendranagar need not go all the way to city for their eye problems, he pointed out.