Save Osmania Hospital campaign launched on Change.org

Yunus Y. Lasania Hyderabad:  A concerned group of citizens from Hyderabad have launched an online petition to save the Osmania Genera Hospital’s (OGH) old heritage structure from getting demolished. The petition has been created two days after the Telangana State Medical Education director asked OGH authorities to vacate the old building and seal it shut.
The state government’s move has added weight to fears among concerned citizens that the heritage building of OGH may soon be demolished. The petition, which till 4 p.m. had about 850 signatures, has been created on Change.org (link at end of report).
It reads: ‘Media reports indicate the Government of Telangana is moving to demolish the iconic Osmania General Hospital (OGH) which is one of the oldest hospitals in India located in Hyderabad. The Health Minister Etala Rajender has been quoted in a Times of India report, July 23, “The government will raze the building and raise new towers.” Patients in the old building have been moved out and activities are underway to seal the entire building.’ In its petition, the concerned group of citizens appealed to the state government to protect Hyderabad’s heritage and health, by restoring the OGH building. It stated that the OGH is situated on an area of 26.5 acres, of which the old building lies on only one acre. It also added that the hospital’s old building is a “II-B Heritage Building in Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Association (HMDA) Listing and is protected under the Heritage Regulations of HMDA.” The petition also pointed out that the last Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) had cleared the proposal of the government for construction of a new block behind the heritage building. It reminded that the new block was to be built on the condition that the heritage structure be restored and construction be done under supervision of a conservation architect and periodic reporting to the HCC.