Telangana Governor visits Osmania Hospital, days after Health Minister's attack

Hyderabad, July 3 (IANS) In continuing friction with the Telangana government, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday made a surprise visit to Osmania General Hospital.

During her visit to the government-run hospital, she visited all the hospital wards and interacted with the patients and the doctors and para-medical staff.

The Governor visited the century-old hospital a few days after she voiced concern over its condition. This had attracted criticism from Health Minister T. Harish Rao who alleged that she was speaking "like a BJP spokesperson".

Soundararajan voiced her concern regarding the quality of facilities and the issue of limited space. She mentioned that she has raised these concerns with the Chief Minister and the Health Department on multiple occasions.

She further shared that her first meeting upon assuming office as the Governor was with a delegation from the Osmania General Hospital. Since then, she has made regular appeals on the improvisation of hospital and communicated with the state government.

The Governor has received numerous appeals from both OGH medical students and the general public regarding the horrible condition of Osmania General Hospital. She also highlighted that the issue was raised during a recent OGH Alumni meeting.

Notably, the High Court has cleared the case, and she expressed appreciation for this decision.

Soundararajan urged the state government to make alternative arrangements before any further legal hurdles arise. Emphasising that the well-being of poor patients should be the government's highest priority, she acknowledged the exemplary work being done by the doctors despite the existing limitations.

She specifically mentioned the unhygienic conditions of the hospital toilets and washrooms, the roof ceiling in the old building, and the inadequate ventilation.

During her visit, the Governor observed the post-operative ward and general ward, both of which she described as being in not good state.

She clarified that her intention was not to engage in a blame game, but rather to ensure that the poor and needy patients receive the best possible treatment facilities as it is the only resort to them to get treatment.

As a resident of the state, she urged the government to improve hospital infrastructure and treatment facilities.

The Governor expects all concerned authorities to take her suggestions constructively and take appropriate measures. She emphasised her perspective as a doctor and reiterated that the well-being of patients will always be her top concern.

She stated that she wants the government to take immediate action in constructing a new building with 3,000 beds.

In case any legal obstacles arise due to the heritage building, she requested that alternative arrangements be made promptly.

Soundararajan finally stressed that patients should not suffer and their welfare must be prioritised by the people at the helm of affairs.

The Governor, through a tweet on June 28, had highlighted the alarming state of the government-run Osmania Hospital. She called for urgent action in commencing the construction of a new building for the hospital and urged the state government to fulfill its promise to build a new building.

The governor’s tweet evoked a strong reaction from Health Minister Harish Rao, who said that the Governor’s comments on Osmania Hospital are distressing.

Stating that there is clear politics in the comments, he said that it is unfortunate that the Governor, who holds constitutional office, is speaking like an official spokesperson of BJP.

Harish Rao recalled that Chief Minister KCR had taken a decision to construct the new building of Osmania General Hospital in 2015 but some people approached the court.

“This issue is currently pending in the court. We are ready to construct a new building,” he said.

Meanwhile, he held a meeting with officials to review the conditions at Osmania Hospital.