The Afzal Gunj Hospital, the predecessor of the Osmania General Hospital, was established in 1866 by Salar Jung I.
The present hospital building was completed in 1919 on orders of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It was designed by British architect Vincent Jerome Esch and Nawab Khan Bahadur Mirza Akbar Baig in Indo-Sarcenic style.[5][6][7] In 1926, the wards of the Afzal Gunj hospital were transferred to the new building.
The history of the hospital includes Dr. Yusuf Mirza, the 1st RMO (Resident Medical Officer).
Dr. K Gopal Rao was one of the team of doctors when started along with the RMO. Names of these doctors are still there at the General Ward entrance.
In 2015, the Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrashekhar Rao announced a plan to demolish the building.[2] This sparked outrage among heritage activists, and he immediately retracted the statement.[8][9]
Himayat Ali Mirza, the great-grandson of Mir Osman Ali Khan, joined hands with the INTACH (Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage). He believes minor renovations could improve the hospital building to restore the Osmania General Hospital.[10][11]