Almost 45 days after the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), Sanathnagar in Hyderabad commenced its trial run, the State Health department has moved a step closer towards operationalising the facility by deputing 180 doctors and senior residents from government hospitals across Telangana. The orders were issued by the Director of Medical Education (DME) on June 17, directing the personnel to report to TIMS, Sanathnagar, on June 19.

According to the order, directors, principals and superintendents of the respective institutions have been instructed to relieve the doctors and senior residents on June 18 to enable them to join TIMS, Sanathnagar. The personnel will coordinate with Dr. Mahaboob Khan, who has been designated as the nodal officer for the facility, and a compliance report will be submitted to the DME.

A total of 98 consultants and faculty members have been drawn from institutions including Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, Government General Chest Hospital, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Institute of Mental Health, MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre and several Government Medical Colleges across Telangana. 

The specialists represent departments such as cardiology, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, radiology, pathology, microbiology, psychiatry, ENT, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and radiation oncology.

In addition, 82 junior consultants and senior residents have also been deployed to the facility. The specialists and residents belong to disciplines, including biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, neurosurgery, nephrology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, pulmonology, radiology, anaesthesia, general surgery, paediatrics, ENT and emergency medicine.

This deployment of manpower comes even as there is still no official word on when the hospital will be inaugurated. While the office of Minister for Health C. Damodar Raja Narasimha has indicated multiple tentative dates over the past few months, none of them materialised. Earlier, the hospital was expected to be inaugurated on Ugadi (March 19). Subsequently, Telangana Formation Day on June 2 was indicated as the likely date. Later, June 11 was being considered based on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s schedule, but the inauguration did not take place.