Health Minister inaugurates Night Shelter at Niloufer Hospital

Hyderabad : Health Minister Dr. K. Laxma Reddy on Saturday inaugurated a Night Shelter for the attendants of patients at Niloufer Hospital. 

Speaking on the occasion, Laxma Reddy said that the Telangana Government has established Night Shelters at various hospitals for the benefit of patients' attendants. He said the Night Shelter at Niloufer Hospital was constructed with the assistance of Nampally MLA Jaffer Hussain Meraj. He said that the local MLA has also taken the responsibility of setting up Night Shelters at 3-4 more hospitals. 

The minister said that the works on Night Shelter at Osmania General Hospital would be completed by February. He said that the centre to provide subsidised meal at Rs. 5 was also being set up at the night shelters along with a water plant. He said that the State Government has been modernising all the government hospitals to help the poor patients. 

Laxma Reddy said that the government is also providing free transportation to shift dead bodies of poor people who died at government hospitals. He said 40 vehicles have been kept for the purpose. 

Nampally MLA Meraj Hussain, in his speech, thanked the State Government for constructing the night shelter. He said patients' attendants were forced to sleep in open and on footpaths in the absence of a night shelter. With the help of Habeeb Nagar Police Inspector Sanjay Kumar, the attendants were provided space in Zakir Hussain Community Hall where they were also provided blankets. 

He said that the Night Shelter would be run in an organised manner while providing facilities like soap, shampoo, etc., to the attendants. He also sought permission to set up a Food Bank in the hospital. 

Earlier, GHMC Zonal Commissioner Raghu Prasad said that the Night Shelter is housed in a G+5 building which was constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.60 crore. In the first phase, G+2 structure has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.33 crore. It has a capacity to house 64 persons in each floor. As many as 128 persons could stay in the present building and after the completion of entire construction it would accommodate 260 people. 

The function was also attended by GHMC Mayor Bonthu Rammohan and senior officials of GHMC.