Govt rethinks on OGH demolition plan

Hyderabad: Faced with all-round criticism for its decision to demolish the Osmania General Hospital, the State government appears to be having second thoughts on the issue.

Talking to media at NIMs hospital, the Minister for Health C Lakshma Reddy said the government would shift the patients to other hospitals since the OGH was in a dilapidated condition, but it would take a final call on pulling down the heritage structure later.

Lakshma Reddy said that shifting of various wings of OGH had become necessary as patients, doctors, paramedical staff and others at OGH expressed the fear that the structure may give in.

The Minister lambasted the Congress party leaders for trying to gain political mileage by criticising the government’s decision to build a high-rise complex in the place of old buildings. He said it was the Congress government that neglected the OGH leading to the present situation.

Referring to the recent liver transplantation that had taken place at the NIMS, the Ministers said the doctors had proved that they were second to none. The success gave hope to the poor that government health institutions had efficiency on a par with the corporate health sector, he added.

He further said the government was ready to extend its aid to help carry out more such surgeries. He said the government had given Rs 10.50 lakhs to the liver transplant surgery.