Hyderabad, Oct 22 (NationPress) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged officials to ensure the new building of the esteemed Osmania Hospital is completed within two years.

The Chief Minister reviewed the project’s status during a meeting with key officials at his residence on the same day.

He instructed the team to develop comprehensive plans for acquiring modern medical equipment that meets the hospital’s future needs.

Additionally, he advised engineering officials to design rooms, laboratories, and other facilities to enable the incorporation of state-of-the-art medical technology. Alongside construction, he stressed the importance of roadworks around the hospital to prevent inconveniences for local residents.

To expedite the construction process, he called for the immediate establishment of a coordination committee, consisting of officials from the Health, Police, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Roads & Buildings, and Electricity Departments.

As stated by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), this committee will conduct regular site inspections and convene every ten days to swiftly address any issues, ensuring the timely advancement of the project.

The Chief Minister further directed the Police Department to devise plans in advance for security and traffic management once the hospital is operational. The Roads & Buildings Department was tasked to prepare connectivity plans for the hospital with surrounding roads from now.

Revanth Reddy additionally mandated that for all hospitals and medical colleges currently under construction across Hyderabad and neighboring districts, an officer must be appointed for each project. These officers will be fully responsible for overseeing the work around the clock.

Principal Secretaries V. Seshadri and Srinivas Raju, CM’s Secretary Manick Raj, Director General of Police Shivadher Reddy, senior officials Vikas Raj, Christiana Zongthu, Ilambarathi, Musharaf Ali Faruqui, Hyderabad Collector Hari Chandana, and others participated in the meeting.

Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) commenced the construction of the new Osmania General Hospital complex at the Goshamahal Police Stadium site earlier this month.

On January 31 this year, Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for the new complex valued at Rs 2,700 crore.

Spanning 26 acres with a built-up area of 32 lakh square feet, the facility will house 2,000 beds. It will feature a hospital block of nearly 23 lakh sq. ft., an academic block, dedicated hostels for men and women, a dharamshala, mortuary, utility facilities, and a security building.

The new complex is situated three kilometers from the current hospital building along the banks of the Musi River.

The existing Osmania Hospital has long faced challenges due to its deteriorating state, and there have been calls for several years to build a new structure.

Established following the Musi floods of 1908, the Osmania Hospital was constructed by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad State, and named in his honor. Designed by British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in the Indo-Sarcenic style, it was completed in 1919.

The current space of 7.5 lakh square feet has proven inadequate for the growing population’s needs.

A proposal by the previous BRS government to demolish the existing Osmania Hospital to erect a new structure faced strong opposition from historians, heritage activists, and community members. This decision was legally challenged.

Last year, the Congress government opted to construct the new building on 32 acres of land at the Goshamahal Police Stadium.

The Chief Minister affirmed that the government would maintain the existing Osmania Hospital building as a heritage site. He indicated that the structure would be preserved as part of the Musi River Development Project to attract tourism.