Hyderabad: Sickening state of affairs at Osmania General Hospital

Hyderabad: A stinking apathy of government indeed that hit a public facility – a major general hospital. It is like adding insult to the injury at a time when the Covid is reigning in the city and the sick suffering from various hardships are struggling to get required medicare.

Rainwater mixed with sewerage water is flowing inside the wards of Osmania General Hospital (OGH). Treatment, for now has taken a backseat as the staff got together armed with gunny bags to stop the water.

Heavy rains lashed city, severely waterlogging the general hospital. Security staff, ward boys and nurses had tough time, battling the flow of water into the wards. The flooding of several wards on the groundfloor was telecast live on news channels, showing the utter neglect of the government towards such a famed facility as Osmaqia General Hospital, possibly damaging medical equipment. Knee-deep water at some places and a sheet of water elsewhere severely hampered medical attention to the patients. Within a few minutes of downpour, it caused knee-deep water storming into the hospital.

The silence of the government is baffling, say doctors at the hospital. "Not only the drain water issue, there are several machines which help in treatment of cancer but there is no procurement. The drainage problem is an age-0ld problem. The government needs to come up with permanent solutions like replacing the old pipelines, strengthening the old walls and anything which helps hospital building," said Pandu Nayak, Anaesthesia Specialist, Osmania General Hospital.

Senior doctors of OGH lamented that the TRS government has got its priority wrong. Instead of demolishing the secretariat, there is a need to revamp all the government hospitals.

"It is a pathetic condition, we pay visit to hospitals for the treatment but we definitely end up catching unknown viral infections if we visit this drain flooded hospital anymore. Telangana government must react immediately on the ongoing situations in Osmania Hospital and must roll out resolutions as soon as possible, if not it would be difficult to save our historic hospital," said J Krishna Koundinya, junior doctor, Osmania General Hospital.

"We are scared to work in this dilapidated building. It is not safe for anyone as the building lost its strength to handle hundreds of patients. It might collapse anytime and we need to renovate the building before any untoward situations happens," said another doctor of Osmania K Vamshi Krishna.

Patients were horrified by the drainage overflow entering the wards, causing water stagnation here and there, now or then falling chunks of ceiling and hardly attending staff in the hospital. Until the Telangana diverts its concentration from secretariat to Osmania, we are unable to imagine any good days rues nurses and doctors of the century old hospital.

PATHETIC PRIORITIES

Senior doctors of OGH lamented that the TRS government has got its priority wrong. Instead of demolishing the secretariat, there is a need to revamp all the government hospitals

CLOSE SHAVE EVERY DAY

We are scared to work in this dilapidated building. It is not safe for anyone as the building lost its strength to handle hundreds of patients. It might collapse anytime and we need to renovate the building before any untoward situations happens, says one of medical staff

Unkept Promises

♦ In 2010, the then united Andhra Pradesh State government issued an order announcing in-principle approval for the construction of a new building for hospital in six acres of land behind the main building- a built up area of two lakh square feet with Rs 200 cr

♦ After the formation of Telangana State, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced that the building would be demolished and in its place a new building would be constructed

♦ In 2015, soon after the Chief Minister visited Osmania General Hospital and announced his decision that the building would not last for a few years, heritage activists rose in unison

♦ In the month of August 2015, a team comprising conservation architects, structural engineers and others from INTACH Delhi conducted a three-day survey and informed that the structure only needs repairs and can withstand for another 200 years

♦ In 2017, 2018 and as recent as February 3, 2019 roof plaques fell in room No 502, Department of Radiology in the old building

♦ It was followed by protest by doctors wearing helmets while treating patients in 2019

♦ Last week, a PIL was filed seeking new building for OGH