Gandhi Hospital Receives Notification From TSHRC On Infrastructural Issues
A number of broken hospital beds have been lying unattended outside the respiratory block, and drinking water is reportedly unsafe for consumption as the same taps are being used by attenders for washing and cleaning utensils.
Hyderabad: Gandhi Hospital has once again found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, with the Telangana State Human Rights Commission directing hospital superintendent Ch. Rajkumari to submit a detailed report on its infrastructure problems by October 27, 2025.
The order follows a complaint filed in March by Advocate Rama Rao Immaneni, who flagged a series of persistent issues: non-functioning lifts; a shortage of stretchers and wheelchairs causing mobility problems for patients and the elderly; unhygienic surroundings with waste lying in the corridors; vagabonds on the premises; a kitchen infested with rats and cockroaches; and stray dogs roaming near wards.
A number of broken hospital beds have been lying unattended outside the respiratory block, and drinking water is reportedly unsafe for consumption as the same taps are being used by attenders for washing and cleaning utensils.
According to doctors and patients, only two of the hospital’s 10 X-ray machines are functional, and of the two CT scan machines, just one has been working for the past year. For the past six months, there have been no films to print X-rays, forcing patients to wait in long queues at the radiology department.
“These issues have been raised time and again, but nothing has changed. The administration usually evades responsibility, citing shortage of funds. Gandhi Hospital has 2,000 beds but admits far more patients, often accommodating two or three on a single bed. Recently, they dug up all the sewage pipes for repairs, but water started flowing into the corridors, disrupting doctors and patients alike,” Immaneni said.
He added that if the state ignores the Commission’s recommendations, it can summon individual officials to respond.
The Superintendent was approached for comments but did not respond.
Conditions are no better at the city’s other tertiary hospital, Osmania General Hospital (OGH), where longstanding sanitation and infrastructure problems remain unresolved.
With heavy rains forecast for the next three days, health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha on Wednesday directed all hospital staff — including RMOs and Superintendents — to remain on duty, cancelling all leave.
Emergency care, particularly for pregnant women, is to be prioritised, with those nearing delivery shifted to hospital waiting rooms. Ambulances and 102 vehicles have been ordered to remain on standby round the clock, with power backup systems and electricians in place. Officials have been told to prevent waterlogging in hospitals and conduct regular field visits to monitor the situation.
In line with these instructions, OGH superintendent Rakesh Sahay said health inspectors and sanitation supervisors have been directed to clean terraces daily, clear rainwater outlets, and flush drainage lines to prevent waterlogging.
“Stagnation, mosquito breeding and infections must be avoided by regularly clearing foliage and mopping corridors. RMOs will monitor these measures, while in-charges must ensure full staff attendance. The store in-charge pharmacist has been asked to maintain an uninterrupted supply of essential items for round-the-clock patient care,” he said.
According to junior doctors and interns, such measures are taken only when special directives are issued or during inspections, which they say is insufficient to tackle the hospital’s sanitation issues.
