Doctors bat for new Osmania General Hospital building

The Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGDA)  on Tuesday called for construction of a new building for the 114-year-old  Osmania General Hospital (OGH).
Osmania General Hospital Superintendent B Nagender said, “Osmania needs a new building. Every patient, doctor, staff and student wants a building which is as per the NMC standard and ensures patients’ safety. We need a sophisticated hospital where poor patients are provided proper care and treatment. Teaching is another aspect that needs to be addressed. The faculty is suffering a lot since there are no proper demonstration rooms and advanced care. The aim is to expand the number of departments and make it equivalent to a corporate hospital.”
Special invitee, Professor Kodandaram said, “There is a need to address the issue at the earliest. Those who are for or against the demolition of the existing structure and those who believe that the hospital must be shifted to one of the proposed locations must submit their representations to the government and let the authorities decide the fate of the hospital.”
Telangana State Medical Council Chairman Dr K Mahesh said,” The issue dates back to 2010 when then chief minister K Rosaiah sanctioned Rs 200 crore and a G+4 building was proposed. When K Chandrashekhar Rao took over, he cited a report by the JNTU which said that the hospital cannot be restored; After his visit to the OGH, KCR said that the government would demolish it. The issue with the heritage structure is that it is spread on three acres in the middle of the facility. According to the HMDA Act it was declared as a heritage structure, and no structure rising above the site can be constructed. Now a minimum of 22 acres is required to construct a new building; The legal issue is whether the heritage structure can be demolished or not, as per the HMDA regulations every heritage structure can be demolished. This structure was built for the sole purpose of a hospital and nothing else.”
TGDA founder president Dr B Ramesh said, “If it is not possible to take-up construction of the new hospital complex within the existing OGH campus, due to the presence of the heritage building, then nearby alternative sites must be quickly identified. This issue should not be postponed anymore.”