Osmania Hospital building’s fate hangs on court decision

Hyderabad: The government told the court on Tuesday that two expert committees studying the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) building agreed that it’s not suitable for a hospital.

This information was shared with the Telangana high court by Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy. The court is handling various pleas, one group wants to strengthen and keep the 100-year-old OGH, while the other suggests replacing it with a new hospital.

The court is yet to decide, and the AG mentioned that the state has funds for a new building, pending the court’s call.

The AG explained that OGH, a teaching college, officially accommodates 1,800 beds, but due to the building’s condition, it’s limited to 1,000 beds. The state is waiting for the court’s decision before moving forward.

Senior counsel B Nalin Kumar, representing conservationists, pointed out that an independent committee suggested preserving the building despite a different state-appointed group recommending demolition.

The AG added that even this independent committee concluded a hospital couldn’t operate in the old building. The court set the next hearing for Feb 12.