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Storm brews over relocation move
The TRS government’s decision to shift the chest hospital from Erragadda to Vikarabad has come under fire, both from the doctors of the chest hospital as well as political parties. The 356-odd staff of the Government General and Chest Hospital at Erragadda say that it was not a wise decision to shift the hospital to Vikarabad which is 82 kms away from the capital city.
Doctors, politicos, employees cry foul over govt plan
Hyderabad: The TRS government’s decision to shift the chest hospital from Erragadda to Vikarabad has come under fire, both from the doctors of the chest hospital as well as political parties. The 356-odd staff of the Government General and Chest Hospital at Erragadda say that it was not a wise decision to shift the hospital to Vikarabad which is 82 kms away from the capital city.
They claim that the state-run facilities that were once sprawling sanitoriums are in dilapidated condition and have become redundant. Doctors and health experts say that the state has been ignoring not just the old buildings in dire need of repair. They say that the TB Hospital in Ananthagiri, Vikarabad is on ventilator.
This 150-bedded hospital was the biggest health facility in the area but over the last few years, however, it has not been able to use the budget earmarked for it for lack of patients. Even the budgetary allocation for diet of TB patients has come down to Rs 8 lakhs in 2010-11 from earlier Rs 32 lakhs. There are no modern equipment or even proper basic infrastructural facilities, the doctors say.
If the shifting was inevitable the chest hospital should be within a radius of 8 kms from the teaching hospital, the medical and para medical staff demanded on Saturday. The chest hospital staff drafted a memorandum to the effect and would be submitting it to the state Director of Medical Education (DME) on Monday.
Telangana Telugu Desam leader Revanth Reddy on Saturday took exception to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to shift the Secretariat to Erragadda Chest hospital premises on Vaasthu compliance. The Congress, TDP and other parties also criticised the government for its decision to shift chest hospital. TPCC vice president Shabbir Ali said that the move to shift chest hospital would adversely affect the poor people who go to chest hospital for treatment.
The TRS government’s decision amounts to being anti-poor government, he added. Talking to media persons at NTR Trust Bhavan, A Revanth Reddy alleged that KCR who is afraid of Vaasthu problem was targeting the common man and ignoring the rich who grabbed land on lakebeds. He alleged that Telugu cine actor couple Akkineni Nagarjuna and Amala allegedly grabbed the land but the government was not bothered to take action.
People will appreciate if the government takes back the land allotted to Blue Cross and shifts chest hospital to that premises if it becomes inevitable. Meanwhile employees came under the umbrella of a TJAC and have started efforts to enlist the support of other parties to ensure that the hospital is not shifted.
TJAC members met MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi. After giving a patient hearing, Owaisis assured their support to the hospital staff, TJAC Secretary, Omar Khan said. Speaking to The Hans India, members of TJAC said that this hospital has been catering to the requirements of a 90 per cent of the patients who suffer from respiratory diseases.
More over Erragadda hospital is easily accessible for people from eight out of 10 districts in Telangana. If the hospital is shifted to Vikarabad it will deprive people of eight districts to access the hospital easily. When asked about his stand on shifting of the hospital, Superintendent of Chest Hospital, Dr. A. Sai Kumar said he cannot oppose a Government decision and “his hands are tied”.
The employees are worried that if the hospital was shifted they will lose promotions from the feeder category in all Class-IV cadre, NGO cadre and Gazetted cadres, if the Chest hospital is shifted to Vikarabad and staff is distributed to OGH and Gandhi hospitals. They employees will also loose 30 percent of HRA and CCA as per rules.
As per the GO No.61, doctors of pulmonary department will go back to Gandhi and Osmania, while most of the Class-IV, NGO and Gazetted cadres will have to shift to Vikarabad. Out of the total; staff strength of 356, 287 are permanent and 69 are temporary. The hospital has had a bed strength of 670 and currently, services are confined to 180 beds.
