HYDERABAD: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Monday announced that once permission was obtained from the High Court, the construction of the new building of Osmania General Hospital would commence without delay. He made the announcement at a review with high-level officials of his department at the State Secretariat.
The minister underscored the government’s commitment to constructing a new facility for Osmania Hospital, citing previous directives from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had visited the hospital in 2015 and ordered the construction of a new building. The construction plans had been put on hold due to a stay granted by the court following appeals filed by individuals seeking to preserve the existing structure.
However, an expert committee from IIT Hyderabad, appointed by the High Court, has deemed the current building inadequate for the hospital’s requirements. “Teaching Institutions of Medical Sciences (TIMs), the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), and the construction of super specialty Maternal and Child Health Centers (MCHs) have already been initiated. These measures aim to meet the future healthcare needs of the people.” Harish Rao said.
Public representatives who attended the meeting expressed unanimous support for the construction of a new building for Osmania Government Hospital. Harish Rao assured that the government would thoroughly examine the opinion expressed in the meeting and promptly submit an affidavit to the High Court, informing them of the decision.
Furthermore, the Joint Association for the new OGH informed that Harish Rao plans to submit the final affidavit within the next seven days. As the legal process, including claims and counterclaims, has concluded, the Health Minister expects the court to deliver its verdict within two weeks. He has also assured that on the day following the verdict, he will issue a government order to initiate the construction of the new OGH building.
After he made the assurance, the Joint Association decided to suspend for a week a rally and peaceful protest it had planned. It may be recalled that Harish Rao last week took exception to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s tweet on the lack of facilities in the OGH.