HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday proposed a comprehensive approach to the contentious matter concerning the demolition of the dilapidated Osmania General Hospital (OGH) building. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe conveyed that it is imperative for both the State government and the opposing litigants to take a holistic perspective on the issue at hand.
CJ Aradhe highlighted the critical situation where medical professionals are resorting to wearing helmets while providing care to patients within the dilapidated hospital building. Expressing concern, he emphasised that if this condition persists, patients seeking medical attention might soon need to wear helmets for their own safety.
The division bench was presiding over a series of five Public Interest Litigations (PILs) related to the fate of the OGH building. Among these PILs, some petitioners have urged the court to direct the government to initiate the demolition of the existing OGH structure and replace it with a new building. On the other hand, a few others have approached the high court opposing the proposal to demolish the heritage structure, advocating for its preservation.
The legal representative for the government informed the court that an expert committee had recently submitted a status report on July 27, outlining the structural integrity of the OGH building and providing recommendations. Counsel further mentioned that the Advocate General would present the government’s arguments in this case and requested additional time for preparation.
Taking this into account, CJ Aradhe directed the State government to present its standpoint in response to the status report. Once the government’s response has been filed, the court will determine the date for the final hearing in this batch of PILs. The court granted a period of two weeks for the government to submit its counterarguments.