Despite its rich legacy, the existing 7.5 lakh square feet facility has struggled to keep pace with Hyderabad’s growing population. The outdated infrastructure failed to meet modern medical standards, including NMC's requirement for a minimum of 30 lakh square feet.
Published Jan 31, 2025 | 8:28 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 31, 2025 | 8:28 AM
Design of Osmania General Hospital.
After decades of struggle for patients and healthcare providers, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will lay the foundation for a new, state-of-the-art Osmania General Hospital (OGH) on Friday, 31 January. This initiative marks a significant step in strengthening the public healthcare infrastructure of Hyderabad and Telangana.
The new hospital, to be built at Goshamahal, will have a built-up area of 32 lakh square feet, adhering to National Medical Commission (NMC) and Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms. With a capacity of 2,000 beds, it aims to provide world-class medical care.
Designed scientifically to cater to evolving healthcare needs, the hospital will feature 29 major and 12 minor operation theatres, with dedicated facilities for robotic surgery and organ transplants. Essential amenities such as modern laundry services, a sewage treatment plant (STP), an effluent treatment plant (ETP), and a biomedical waste management system will also be integrated.
The hospital will also witness a major expansion in medical education and training, with 30 departments, including eight new super-speciality disciplines. A new academic block will accommodate Nursing, Dental, and Physiotherapy colleges, reinforcing the hospital’s role as a premier medical training institution.
The land tract is being shared between the hospital and the police department, facilitating a balance between medical, educational, and law enforcement needs while ensuring police welfare.
The government in its statement said that this project represents a paradigm shift under the Congress-led state government, emphasising inter-departmental coordination and innovative problem-solving in public infrastructure development.
“After years of neglect, the Telangana government is making a landmark investment in public healthcare. The new hospital will offer state-of-the-art medical services at an unprecedented scale, ensuring enhanced accessibility to quality treatment for the people,” said the government.
During multiple rounds of reviews and planning sessions, Revanth Reddy ensured that the hospital’s infrastructure would be future-ready. Dedicated provisions for uninterrupted electricity, fire safety, and bio and non-bio waste management have been incorporated into the design. A dedicated power substation and fire station will be part of the new facility.
The project also includes the relocation and rebuilding of a government school that existed on the designated land, ensuring continued educational access for students.
The hospital’s design prioritises patient comfort, with ample reception and waiting halls, canteens, cafeterias, rest areas, and well-maintained washrooms on every floor. Provisions for separate staff, patient, and visitor facilities have been included to ensure smooth functioning.
A ground-plus-two (G+2) parking structure will be built to accommodate the heavy footfall, and surrounding roads will be redesigned for better traffic management. The use of underpasses will create seamless, no-signal junctions, improving movement in the vicinity.
The entire area will be professionally illuminated, with custom lighting based on specific zone requirements. The hospital campus will also include a helipad, enabling swift transport of critical patients and organ transplants.
The new hospital campus is being developed on 26 acres and 30 guntas, while the police department will redevelop its adjacent campus on 11 acres and 14 guntas.
Osmania General Hospital, a landmark institution in Hyderabad, was originally established in 1866 as Afzalgunj Hospital and later moved to its current Indo-Saracenic style building in 1919 under the patronage of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Over the decades, it has hosted medical conferences and research initiatives while serving thousands of patients daily.
Despite its rich legacy, the existing 7.5 lakh square feet facility has struggled to keep pace with Hyderabad’s growing population. The outdated infrastructure failed to meet modern medical standards, including NMC’s requirement for a minimum of 30 lakh square feet.
The redevelopment of OGH faced numerous legal and heritage-related challenges. Multiple court cases over hospital modernisation have been pending since 2015, delaying crucial infrastructure improvements.
The previous government did not adequately address either the hospital’s heritage value or the urgent public need for an upgraded facility.
However, under the Revanth Reddy-led government, efforts to fast-track the project were undertaken on a war footing. All necessary approvals and clearances were obtained in record time, paving the way for the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
This milestone in Hyderabad’s healthcare evolution promises to revitalise Osmania General Hospital as a premier public healthcare institution while ensuring future-ready medical infrastructure for generations to come.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
