Insufficient beds and inadequate facilities hamper treatment for patients at the historic medical institution of Osmania General Hospital.
Shortage of beds and facilities pose challenges for patients and medical staff alike. (Sumit Jha/South First)
On Wednesday, 28 June, around 11:45 am, Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali made his way into the outpatient ward of Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and passed through the hospital pharmacy to inaugurate the Transgender Clinic.
Inside the pharmacy, several patients, including children, were seen either sleeping or sitting on the floor, while their attendants waited in a queue to collect medicines. Unfortunately, there were no benches or resting facilities available by the pharmacy.
“I couldn’t find any bench and since I have a fever, I had to lie on the floor,” one of the patient told South First.
A patient lying on the floor by the pharmacy at OGH. (Sumit Jha/South First)
While the home minister inaugurated the new clinic, adjacent to it was the Quli Qutb Shah block. This block serves as the In-Patient (IP) block, where patients with severe cases are admitted.
With the onset of the monsoon, there has been a rise in the number of patients in the IP block of this historic hospital. However, accommodating such a large number of patients has become a challenge for the doctors and the hospital administration at OGH.
The General Ward on the fourth floor of the IP block primarily caters to male patients seeking general medical treatment. However, this ward also serves as the male ward for the Orthopaedics Department.
General Ward of Quli Qutb Shah block at OGH. (Sumit Jha/South First)
“The designated ward is intended for general medicine, typically accommodating eight units. Each unit usually comprises a minimum of 50 beds. However, in this particular case, different units, including the Orthopaedic unit, have been mixed together, with a total bed capacity of 125,” a junior doctor told South First.
“Due to the mixing of different units within the ward, all the beds are constantly occupied. As doctors, it becomes challenging to keep track of our patients’ locations. There have been instances where we conduct rounds but are unable to locate our assigned patients. Meanwhile, the patients are awaiting our presence and examination,” explained the junior doctor.
“Upon a patient’s arrival in the ward, we request them to wait while we see if any beds become available soon due to patients being discharges. However, usually there are numerous patients waiting to be admitted to the ward. In such situations, we are left with no choice but to provide treatment to the patients on stretchers,” another junior doctor told South First.
“In worst-case scenarios, when all the stretchers are occupied as well, we are compelled to place patients on the ground, temporarily, until a bed becomes available,” the junior doctor added.
Patients lying on the floor and doctors treating them at OGH. (Sumit Jha/South First)
“Then there is also the issue of privacy. If a patient has to change, it’s an open block, the patient is required to change in front of other people.”
During South First’s visit to the General Ward of the hospital, at least five patients were found lying on the floor, receiving medical treatment from doctors who were attending to them.
“In several cases, we refer the patient to the Gandhi Hospital,” informed the junior doctor. “Beyond this, the situation can also lead to the spread of infectious diseases.”
What is the solution they propose?
“A new building for Osmania General Hospital where more beds can be accommodated,” said the junior doctor.
Osmania General Hospital holds a prominent position as one of the city’s oldest super-speciality hospitals. Patients from all over the state, as well as states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, seek medical treatment at this renowned institution.
In the event of any accidents within the city, a majority of emergency cases are directed to OGH. Additionally, the hospital admits prisoners in need of medical attention, while patients requiring complex surgeries are also referred to Osmania General Hospital.
The operation theatre block was inaugurated in March 2022. (Sumit Jha/South First)
However, everything changed in July 2020 due to the devastating flood. The hospital’s old building, which had been in operation for around a century, had to be closed down.
As a result, all patients were relocated to the newly-constructed Quli Qutb Shah block. Unfortunately, the facilities in the new block are limited and the number of beds not as many as before.
The operation theatres, previously situated in the old building, had to be shifted to a newly-constructed three-floor facility comprising eight theatres.
“During peak hours, patients are required to change their clothes before entering the operation theatre (OT) at the theatre door. This process often leads to patients waiting outside the OT on stretchers until their surgeries can be performed,” said the junior doctor.
He further said that, after the operation is performed, these patients are transferred to the IP block where they have to wait for a bed. During this waiting period, they remain on the stretcher until a bed becomes available.
“Yes, I am aware of the space shortage in the hospital, but we are doing our best to manage with the available beds. We prioritise patients based on the urgency of their treatment and provide beds accordingly,” countered Dr B Nagendra, the Superintendent of OGH, in a conversation with South First.
Patients outside the OT at OGH. (Sumit Jha/South First)
When asked about the criteria used to determine priority, Dr Nagendra explained, “For instance, when there are two patients requiring surgery — one for lower limb surgery and the other for upper limb surgery — we prioritise the lower limb surgery patient for hospitalisation in the IP block. The upper limb surgery patient, on the other hand, can be accommodated in the Out-patient Department (OPD) for their treatment.”
Dr Nagendra said the issue of constructing a new building for the hospital is currently sub judice in the Telangana High Court. As a result, he expressed his inability to take any direct action in the matter.
However, he said he and his staff are committed to managing the situation as best as possible under the prevailing circumstances.
Some doctors told South First that they are not even able to provide proper treatment to their patients.
“If I have 15 patients today, I will see who I can adjust for today’s operation, who needs it urgently. I will do an operation on three patients today because only three beds are available. The next day, there will again be 15 patients and so the 15th patient on the first day can get their surgery done after three-four weeks,” explained a doctor.
On Wednesday, the Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed her support for the doctors’ demand for the construction of a new building at Osmania General Hospital. She took to Twitter and shared her concerns, stating, “Concerned to see the dilapidated condition of the century-old prestigious Osmania General Hospital. Pride of this citadel of learning & healing must be restored soon.”
Concerned to see the dilapidated condition of the century old prestigious #OsmaniaGeneralHospital. Pride of this citadel of learning &healing must be restored soon https://t.co/YJkXXRSvYT
— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@DrTamilisai4BJP) June 27, 2023
Reacting sharply was Health Minister T Harish Rao, who took offence to the Governor for casting aspersions on the state government for the lack of progress in the construction of a new building for OGH.
Speaking to the media in Hyderabad, the health minister said, “The issue of construction of a new building for Osmania Hospital is in court. The state government had taken a decision regarding its construction in 2015 itself, but the project could not move further as some people went to court.”
The minister said that the Governor could have given constructive suggestions to the government. “But I was deeply hurt when she began picking holes in the state government’s performance in the medical sector.”
Mahmood Ali, Home Minister of Telangana, inaugurating the Transgender Clinic. (Sumit Jha/South First)
Harish Rao said that though the Governor is a doctor herself, she could not see the steep increase in the number of beds in NIMS (Nizam’s Institute Of Medical Sciences).
“We have taken the number from 900 to 1,500 beds and now are building another hospital with 2,000 beds. Isn’t this progress in the healthcare sector? We have brought down the maternal and infant mortality rate drastically and the Niti Aayog has also acknowledged it.
“We have increased institutional deliveries to 70 percent from 30 percent prior to the bifurcation of the state. We have one medical college for each district and there are now 22 seats for every one lakh population in Telangana,” he said.
Harish Rao said that the Governor was not acting in a way that befits her position and, instead, she was behaving like a BJP leader. The Governor has been indulging in mudslinging at the state government at every opportunity that presented itself to her, he said, adding, “She appears to be saying that she cannot see good or hear or speak anything that is good in the government.”
According to Harish Rao, the numbers indicate a significant decrease in the number of patients visiting major hospitals, primarily due to the local services provided by Basti Dawakhanas. Comparing current data to that of 2019, it was found that Osmania General Hospital had 12 lakh OPs in 2019, which reduced to five lakh in 2022, representing a 60 percent decrease.
Basti Dawkhanas are health facilities for smaller populations. (Commons)
Similarly, Gandhi Hospital recorded 6.5 lakh OPs in 2019, which decreased to 3.7 lakh OPs in 2022, reflecting a 56 percent decline.
In the case of Niloufer Hospital, there were eight lakh OPs in 2019, which reduced to 5.3 lakh OPs in 2022, indicating a 44 percent decrease
Further, the Government Fever Hospital recorded four lakh OPs in 2019, which significantly declined to 1.12 lakh OPs in 2022, reflecting a substantial decrease of 72 percent.
It should be noted that Osmania Hospital still has the highest footfalls of IP patients.
The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) has expressed their concerns regarding the statements made by the health minister, stating that factual information was disregarded.
President of the HRDA, Dr Mahesh Kumar, highlighted that a government allocation of ₹200 crore was made in 2009 by the then-chief minister K Rosaiah. However, since 2014, no blueprint, plan, or budget allocation, has been provided to Osmania General Hospital.
Dr Kumar questioned why the government of Telangana was unable to take a final decision regarding the old heritage building for the past four years.
“The high court has been urging the government to decide whether they intend to construct a new building, with or without demolishing the dilapidated old structure. However, no clear response or affidavit has been filed, even after six months since the last hearing on 13 December, 2022,” he said in a statement.
Dr Mahesh Kumar criticised the health minister for misleading everyone by suggesting that the court will take the decision. He emphasised the need for continuous review meetings on the OGH issue, with the health minister actively involved, to ensure the completion of the new building.
He urged the minister to file affidavits in the court, providing blueprints of the new OGH building, budget allocation, and setting a time frame for the project’s completion, all in the best interest of poor patients and by setting politics aside.
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