HYDERABAD: In a meeting with the trustees of the Aga Khan trust on Wednesday, the State government asked them to take up the restoration of Osmania General Hospital’s heritage building. Director of department of heritage, A Dinakar Babu, told Express on Thursday that the restoration and renovation work will be closely supervised by the department of heritage.
Will the hospital be fit to be used as a hospital building again? “No decision has been taken yet about whether the hospital building can be used for practical purposes. However, through the process of conservation, multiple committees of engineers will be consulted to understand if the structure can function as a hospital again.”
Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), said, “We have just had one meeting. We were approached very recently and are looking through the details. It will take a couple of more meetings to be able to come to any conclusion.” However, doctors from Osmania General Hospital are still hoping for a new building to be constructed, a demand that has been on the table since 2016.
Dr Pandu Naik, who heads the Osmania JAC for a new building, said, “Restoring the old building is definitely a good step. However, it is not the final solution. It is pertinent that a new building with proper facilities be constructed for the betterment of both — the patients and the doctors.” Director of medical education, Dr Ramesh Reddy, said, “Currently, we are focusing on the restoration, and the next meeting has been scheduled for the end of this month. However, the demand for a new building is also under consideration.”
The Osmania General Hospital’s century old building was vacated by the Department of Health and Family Welfare on November 6 as it was deemed unfit for hospital administration and patients. The old building housed close to 350 in-patients, two operation theatres, and eight wards. Previously, the top floor of the building had been vacated after the ceiling started peeling-off and falling on the patients’ beds.