We have every thing operational, except for space: Dr Nagender, Osmania Hospital Supdt

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Government has been contemplating establishing a new facility for Osmania General Hospital since 2015, but the plan is being constantly hampered due to concerns over demolition of the historic structure, according to Dr. B. Nagender, Superintendent of Osmania General Hospital.

The Osmania General Hospital came under the spotlight once again in the wake of Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's recent visit to the facility. Many questions were raised over the lack of adequate infrastructure in the heritage building 

Reacting to the allegations, the OGH Superintendent spoke to NewsTAP to clear the air on all the concerns. He said that OGH had all the facilities, expert medical professionals and infrastructure but the only thing it was lacking was space.

We urgently need a spacious new hospital building

An old facility with 1,385 beds had already been closed, reducing the bed capacity to 1,092 today. We need a new facility with plenty of space because we are running out of room. We require additional space to accommodate more patients, academic activities, and departmental expansion. While constructing the new structure, we must consider the future 50 years.

Demolition of structure will give ample of space for better infrastructure at OGH

The demolition of the existing structure will provide additional space for the new construction, which is the main challenge we are facing now. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has been particularly interested in developing a new building for Osmania Hospital since 2015, but construction has been halted due to objections made by heritage activists and legal disputes.

Osmania General Hospital has qualified doctors and adequate equipment, but our biggest issue is a lack of space. If we erase the old structure, we may construct a new, larger hospital with 1,800 to 2,000 beds and enhanced amenities for poor and needy patients.

We may lack space but Osmania Hospital provides quality patient care on par with corporate hospitals

Under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Health Minister T. Harish Rao, Osmania General Hospital is able to acquire ultramodern equipment, allowing doctors to provide excellent services that Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan hailed during her recent visit.

We are capable of performing high-end surgeries and delivering quality patient care on par with corporate hospitals thanks to the renovation and modernization of several Specialty and superspecialty departments.

Expensive surgeries, like joint replacement surgeries, liver and kidney transplants, advanced neurosurgery treatments, and many others, are provided free of charge at Osmania Hospital, despite being relatively expensive in corporate and private settings.

Need at least 1,800-2,000 beds in the new building

The current total bed occupancy is 889, with a total bed strength of 1,092 available.

Some wards will be overcrowded on some days, while others will be unused. Patients are usually accommodated in all available beds following the doctors’ rounds, without causing any inconvenience to them. Since the patient load has increased in recent years, we will require at least 1,800 to 2,000 beds in the new building.

Patient care services increased, improved at OGH after formation of Telangana

The patient care services at Osmania General Hospital have significantly improved and increased since the formation of Telangana State, thanks to the Chief Minister's vision and initiative of 'Aarogya Telangana' and the backing of the Health Minister and other senior officials.

Osmania General Hospital offers one-of-a-kind patient services

Skin Bank, a one-of-a-kind service, is offered only at Osmania General Hospital, and many patients who have suffered serious burns and are at risk of infection have been rescued thanks to the Skin Bank facility at OGH.

The hospital operates a specialised Transgender Clinic to meet the health-care requirements of the LGBT community. Patients can benefit from high-end pain management procedures at a pain clinic. Our Haemophilia Centre serves Haemophilic patients who require expensive medications that are immediately delivered and administered to hundreds of Haemophilic patients every year.

A National Viral Hepatitis Centre at OGH provides free treatment and vaccination to hundreds of Hepatitis patients. All of this would not have been possible without the personal participation of the Health Minister and the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, as well as regular inspections, sanctions, and evaluations from all levels of government.

There is no disparity between hospital services and the number of patients hospitalised

Since it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the patients to see and interact with the State's first citizen, Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan, the patients and their attendants gathered on the beds in their excitement, which was misinterpreted as more than one patient occupying each bed. However, there is no disparity between the services provided and the number of patients admitted to the hospital.

Osmania Hospital is proud to perform numerous challenging procedures despite the space crunch

Government hospitals are no less than corporate hospitals, and we are proud that, despite limited space, we completed numerous rare surgeries. We successfully performed laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery on a 23-year-old super obese patient weighing 214kgs in 2023. We also treated two brothers who developed Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC), which was treated with 'Ileal Exclusion Surgery'. This rare procedure, which has only been undertaken a few times in India, was performed for the first time in Telugu states by OGH in 2022. Over the last few years, we have performed numerous successful procedures.

I appeal to everyone to be positive, co-operate with us and the Government in developing a new OGH building

Our hospital receives patients not only from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also from states neighbouring such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and many others. So I urge everyone to stay optimistic and work with us and the government to build the Osmania Gandhi Hospital for poor and needy patients. Protesting will not help because the government is making every effort to develop a new hospital, and we are hoping for a new building very soon. Our hospital is already doing an excellent job, and a new building with improved infrastructure would enable us to provide better and more satisfied patient care.