‘People come here with confidence’

Osmania General Hospital is the largest state government hospital. It was started by the Nizam and has a glorious history. First of all, the building is an architectural beauty. It has to be conserved. There’s no question of that building being interfered with.

Apart from that, as a hospital, it has a good reputation. The services rendered are remarkable and noteworthy… When I was working in the hospital, I operated on ministers from the central and state governments. Many important people from outside the city too used to come to OGH for treatment.

The organisation that decided about the structure and strength of the building has categorically stated that the building is quite strong, that the foundation is good. It only requires regular maintenance, which has been neglected, as it happens in many government institutions, especially in the recent past.

I worked in Osmania General hospital from 1974 to 1983, as a surgeon first and was appointed the superintendent in 1981. The PWD had located an assistant engineer in the hospital premises to continuously look after the maintenance and upkeep of the hospital, and that was a very good decision. At that time, I had gotten the whole drainage and water supply redone. The hospital is at the bottom of a slope, near the Musi River.

The superintendent running the hospital can easily coordinate things. He has a management budget, and has immediate access to the government. You don’t just demolish a building of that beauty. The domes and structure, the height of each floor... it’s remarkable. Right at the entrance, you can see the top of the dome. At that time, to plan that height without any intervening structure was great.

People come with great confidence to the hospital. I would tell the government and the hospital authorities to first clear off all the little repairs that need some maintenance. Identify the problems that need major repairs and get them done immediately. The glory of this building should not be disturbed.

— As told to Christopher Isaac