HYDERABAD: Signs in bright red on walls and pillars of the dilapidated in-patients block of Osmania General Hospital reading ‘UZ’ and ‘UZ | X’ can be dismissed by anyone as graffiti by mischievous youths. However, not many know that these are caution signs to represent ‘UNSAFE ZONE’.
As a patient’s attendant what the signs mean and the chances are high that you will get a response in negative. “We don’t know what the signs mean. I can see that ceiling plaster is not there,” said an attendant looking towards the ceiling.
Notably, while departments located on the second floor — identified as unsafe zone — have been shifted to other hospitals to avoid any kind of mishaps, those on the first floor are still functional from the same place. The hospital authorities said that works have to be taken up on the first floor and requisition was filed for the same.
The In-Patient block was constructed by European architect Vincent Jerome Esch in 1910 during the times of the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. Considering dilapidated state of the structure, plans were chalked in 2015 to evacuate patients from the block and construct two towers. However, the works never began. Sources said the flooring on the first is weak and when trolleys carrying food or garbage pass through the corridor, patches of ceiling fall down.
“Since the trolleys do not pass through the wards, the signs are not marked. The UZ and UZ|X are spots where beds are not supposed to be placed,” sources said, adding that chances of concrete patches to fall down increases during monsoon.
Meanwhile, superintendent of the OGH Dr GVS Moorthy said that they have filed a requisition with Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) to take up works at the block.It is learnt that some works, to contain water seepage, have begun in the second floor.
Senior docs suggest cameras in counselling rooms, near OTs
Hyderabad: As part of demands to avoid attacks on doctors at government hospitals, senior doctors have suggested cameras in counselling rooms or near Operation Theatres (OT). With this, doctors said, the process of prognosis explanation to patients’ attendants can be video-recorded. Though outcome of treatment or surgery is explained to attendants, it is not recorded. “In some cases, if a patient’s condition deteriorates due to natural reasons, family members pick on us. They ask attendant to whom we explained prognosis to not open their mouth and question us on how the treatment went ‘wrong’,” said a senior doctor. This demand floated after a series of maternal deaths in the state created controversy in Feb, April.