Hyderabad, Aug 28, 2024, IANS

Hyderabad, Aug 27 (IANS) The new building of the Osmania General Hospital, the oldest government-run hospital in Hyderabad, will be constructed on 32 acres of land of Goshamahal Police Stadium. The decision was taken on Tuesday by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who directed the officials to transfer the land of Goshamahal Police Stadium and Sports Complex to the Department of Medical and Health. He asked the officials to expedite the process for construction of the new building of the hospital as he reviewed various development projects under the Smart Proactive Efficient and Effective Delivery (SPEED) programme. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and other officials attended the meeting. Nineteen projects under SPEED include the construction of a new building of the Osmania Hospital, the establishment of 15 new nursing colleges, 28 new paramedical colleges, and the construction of samakhiya bhavans in districts. The Chief Minister wanted the officials to keep in mind the needs of the next 50 years while designing the new building of Osmania Hospital. He asked the officials to prepare plans for roads to ensure that people coming to the hospital from various places do not face any traffic problems. He said in addition to blocks for all departments, academic blocks and hostels for nursing staff should be constructed. The Chief Minister said the hospital should provide healthcare facilities in all specialities at par with the corporate hospitals. He also said the government would protect the present building of the Osmania Hospital as a heritage structure. He said the building would be preserved as part of the Musi River Development Project to attract tourists. A proposal by the previous BRS government to demolish the present building of Osmania Hospital to build a new structure was strongly opposed by historians, heritage activists, and citizens concerned. The move was also challenged in the High Court. Conceived after the Musi floods of 1908, the Osmania Hospital was built by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad State and named after him. Designed by British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in the Indo-Saracenic style, it was completed in 1919. Heritage experts say the domes of Osmania Hospital added to Hyderabad's charms. Spread over 26.5 acres, the hospital has 11 major blocks. The in-patient block alone was over an area of 2.37 acres with a total bed capacity of 1,168 beds including 363 in super-speciality wards. Revanth Reddy directed that the police department be provided alternate land in lieu of the Goshamahal land. He wanted the district collector to do a field inspection of the land around the Police Transport Organisation and City Police Academy at Petla Burj and see the feasibility of shifting the Police Stadium and Sports Complex there.