When it began functioning in the middle of 60s it was known as ‘bokkal dawakhana’ or ‘bokkalu asupatri’ (orthopaedic hospital) in Hyderabad.
The foundation stone of what began as Nizam’s Orthopaedic Hospital was laid in 1961 by the then Union Finance Minister Morarji Desai. It was ready by December 1964 and was declared open by the Nizam Osman Ali Khan’s daughter-in-law Princess Durrushehwar. Nearly 50 years later, the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences is set to become one of the largest medical facilities in the country.
According to an apocryphal story, the hospital came up when an appropriate medical facility was not available when Osman Ali Khan’s driver fractured his hand. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao referred to this when he inaugurated the first Industrial Exhibition after the formation of Telangana.
“He was the Governor or Raj Pramukh. When his driver fractured his hand, he sent him to Osmania Hospital for treatment. The doctors said the treatment is available only in Bombay and Madras. The Nizam asked the then chief minister to construct an orthopaedic hospital on his 250-acre land with his money,” Mr. Rao had said. The Nizam’s Charitable Trust financed the initial construction of the building. Even now, one of the executive board members is a trustee of Nizam’s Charitable Trust.
The government of Andhra Pradesh took control of the institution in 1976 to develop it into a speciality hospital. It was under Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao that the medical facility was transformed into NIMS with autonomous functioning in 1986. It became a deemed university in June 1989.
Dr. V. Shantaram, father of cricketer V.V.S Laxman, who was a dean for a brief spell, also played a key role in the growth of the hospital as did Kakarla Subba Rao who was a director for two spells.
Now, more than 200 metres away from the old building, behind the Millennium Block, the new building with additional facilities is set to come up.
“It was an integral aspect in the life of people who lived in Irram Manzil and Punjagutta areas. It was call ‘bokkalu asupatri’ before it became NIMS. For a decent private room, there is an option to pay and get treated/admitted. Otherwise, the fee was very minimal,” says an erstwhile resident of the colony.
The bigger facility is set to come up where the residential quarters of State government staff used to exist. Except the community park, the temple and the water tank, everything in the area has been flattened to make way for the hospital. From an orthopaedic hospital to a full-fledged speciality medical facility, it’s been an eventful journey for NIMS.
