Ooty: Ooty’s Government Headquarters Hospital (GHH) turned 150 as its lengthy and legendary history shows how the convalescence centre for British army men in early 1800s, over the years, turned into hospital to cater to the needs of hill residents.
GHH is gearing up for its sesquicentennial celebration now, said Dr Hiriyan Ravikumar, superintendent of GHH. The hospital was established in a small building 1829 by Dr Haynes, Capt. Underwood, Capt. Dun and John Sullivan who is regarded as the founder of modern Ooty, for treatment, rehabilitation and convalescence for armed personnel.
“Initially it had two separate wings, one for the Britishers having four beds for men and two beds for women, and, one for locals having 10 beds for men and six beds for women. In 1832,a new building was built and named as Lock Hospital. In 1841, extension buildings were built,” he said.
In 1853, the hospital was handed over from army administration to civilian control as public were also using the hospital. In 1867-68 it was handed over to the government. In 1874, it was renamed as Bartholomew Hospital by surgeon Major Burnelyn. Hospital was expanded by building new blocks by donations. In 1877-78 a maternity wing of the hospital was built nearby by Khan Bahadur Fakir Mohd. Sait in 1.5 acres of land donated by him, he said.
“Now, the hospital functions with 40 doctors against the sanctioned strength of 58. The hospital experts proved their prowess in hip and joint replacement surgery and other surgeries. But, in the anesthesia and gynecology units, it is still short of the required strength of physicians,” Dr Ravikumar said.
Saying that on average about 700 out patients are treated in a day, he said that the hospital has 376 bed strength, including 116 at the maternity wing. Dr V. Balasubramaniam, Resident Medical Officer at GHH, said that the hospital will soon have an elderly care unit and an early intervention centre and a unit for mental health. He said that the health department would ask for “Heritage Status” for the GHH at Ooty and added that the department has sent a proposal to set up a medical college at the defunct Hindustan Photo Films company in Ooty.
