Century-old OGH building all set to get a facelift

Hyderabad: The Century-old building of Osmania General Hospital which has been in the news for its dilapidated condition, is set to get a much-needed makeover. The Archaeology department has come up with a project to strengthen the present building, a heritage structure, and the Telangana government is understood to have agreed to the proposal.

Health Minister Eatala Rajender, who inspected Osmania General Hospital recently gave directions to hospital administration to move existing departments in the old building, phase wise, within the present premises as a makeshift arrangement so that Archaeology experts could go ahead with their works.

The government agreed to release Rs 5.27 crore to the hospital for the makeshift arrangements which includes strengthening of house surgeon quarters that will also accommodate some departments temporarily. Already plans are afoot to construct a temporary fabricated shed on top of Quli Qutubshah Department of Cardiology (QQDC) building to accommodate some departments and the tender process is already on.

Minister wanted the hospital administration to utilise funds to improve public toilet facilities in the QQDC block as patients will be flocking there once the makeshift arrangements are in place. He also directed hospital authorities to improve the internal roads in the hospital premises.

Eatala Rajender sat down with hospital authorities and also examined the designs for the new building, the proposal for which has been pending with the government for a while and continuous elections in the State from last September did not help the situation either.

The Health Minister suggested authorities to prepare designs for construction of four new blocks including one for hospital, one for nursing school and college, an hostel for house surgeons and PG doctors and another block for kitchen and dining purposes. When asked whether the already prepared design for one single new and large building was dropped, hospital authorities clarified that the Minister suggested to examine this option also and a final decision would be taken after examining all designs later.

Sources stated that Archaeology department project to strengthen the dilapidated building was estimated to cost Rs 25 crore and the work duration is nearly two years. It may be mentioned here that medical fraternity at OGH including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff have held series of protests, more so in the last year, after several incidents of roof crumbling that led to doctors working outside or wearing helmets while on duty to avoid injuries.