GETTING FACELIFT: The century-old building housing Government Maternity Hospital at Sultan Bazar will be replaced by new blocks. -- PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

HYDERABAD: Fighting a severe resource and manpower crunch all these years, the Government Maternity Hospital at Sultan Bazaar is finally poised for a much-awaited spruce up act. A sum of Rs. 3 crores has been assured under the 12th Finance Commission.

Some of the blocks, including the one housing the superintendent's office, are almost a century old and in need of urgent attention. The authorities have approached the Andhra Pradesh Health and Medical Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (APHMHIDC) for the purpose.

Building plan

A broad building plan, which moots replacing the existing structure built during the British rule, proposes a four-storied building with 9,000 square feet on each floor and another three-storied block with 7,000 sq.ft. on each. Hospital Superintendent G. Shailaja said the amount has been promised for overall development of the institution including buildings and infrastructure.

The hospital is also expecting another Rs. 1 crore under the Centre's Reproductive Child Health Care (RCH) scheme.

However, till all these come through, the Maternity Hospital will continue to be plagued by a severe shortage on all fronts as it is forced to take care of nearly 300 patients with a budget and infrastructure meant for 140 patients.

Such is the rush that the hospital, which always teems with in-patients, is forced to allow two patients per bed. Last year, the Maternity Hospital took care of 9,096 deliveries, 2,409 tubectomies and 5,382 major operations. "Our two units are handling double the work of Gandhi Hospital," says hospital RMO, G. Ram Swaroop.

There is a severe crunch of medicine, diet and even linen. There is a dearth of personnel too as the hospital finds several posts, both medical and para-medical, assigned to it lying vacant.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail