A week after flooding, Osmania Hospital heritage structure to be sealed

Following the recent flooding of the historic Osmania General Hospital’s in-patient block, the government has decided to close the building, a heritage structure on the banks of river Musi. The in-patient department will now function from a new block within the hospital premises.

The building, built over a century ago (sometime during 1911-1917) by Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, has served as the public hospital. The Nizam was known for his work on healthcare, education and development of infrastructure.

Over the past decade, the hospital building, which is a landmark and a heritage structure, has shown signs of wear and tear, with portions of lime-plastered structure falling off.

Last week, the in-patient block, which also houses operation theatres, was flooded with rain water and and sewage water , causing a serious threat to the patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

The flooding of the hospital has become a political issue, with opposition parties Congress and BJP faulting the K Chandrasekhar Rao government for neglecting the healthcare system, particularly Osmania Hospital.

The government on the other hand has faulted the opposition parties for stalling the development works by filing petitions.

Some of the heritage enthusiasts are worried that the sealing up of the hospital facility may later trigger a move to demolish the structure. They feel that the building should be restored and preserved as a Old City heritage structure.

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