Hyderabad: The future of Health Museum looks gloomy, thanks to decades of neglect

The visitors are greeted with a stench emanating from specimens, undescriptive photographs fading away, unpreserved antiques and broken wooden galleries

Hyderabad: The Science Museum at the Public Gardens has been one of the most cherished institutions since the era when the erstwhile Hyderabad State was merged with the Indian Union in 1948. For half a century it served as the beacon of life, educating children and adults alike, about all aspects of human health and the sciences associated with it. A lack of political and administrative will has rendered the historic museum at a point where people are questioning if the state government wants to shut it down for worse.

First established in Chikkadpally

The health museum was first established at Chikkadpally in 1948 by Dr CL Ahluwalia, the then assistant director, of the Public Health Department, Bureau of Health Education, Government of Hyderabad.

It was then moved to the Trophy Hall, which is the present Jawahar Bal Bhavan, in 1952. It was subsequently moved to the Ajanta Pavillion in 1966.

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Museum unravels history of human health

A visit to the museum unravels the evolution of various diseases over the decades and the exhibits which created awareness of preventing and mitigating them. From the composition of nutrition in various food ingredients to anatomy and more, the health museum has been educating people about the basics of the human body, health, diseases and everything associated with protecting health.

The slow deterioration of the museum

The past decade or so has seen the slow physical deterioration of the premises due to a lack of maintenance and upkeep. For instance, there is no electricity supply inside the museum.

As startling as it may seem, the museum is situated at a stone’s throw distance from the legislative assembly and the council.

The antique chandeliers made of brass/panchaloha hanging from the high ceiling have been chipping, exposing their inner layer. The chandelier has the bulbs which were probably functional in the 90s, and the heritage building does have the old electric wiring system, which has now become defunct due to no supply of electricity.

There is a spacious old toilet-cum-bath, which was probably renovated in the 2000s but needs an overhaul. There is no drinking water available inside the museum’s premises for the visitors.

In the main lobby, one can see rainwater seeping inside the wall, where the growth of a root can be clearly seen. In one of the galleries, whenever it rains, water enters from a ground-level ventilator on the wall.

The entire premises smells of a stench which is typical of a laboratory where specimens of humans and animals are stored.

The anatomy gallery is one, which contains the exhibits of real foetuses aged 3 to 9 months, stored inside glass containers having some kind of preservative. However, the foetuses are also as old as the time when the museum used to be taken care of.

A similar situation is that of a gallery where various organs inside the human body, like the skull, lungs, spleen, uterus, heart and other organs have been stored.

Venomous snakes preserved in containers

At one end of the lobby is the gallery where the remains of various types of venomous snakes have been preserved in containers.

Stench of the museum a big turn off to visitors

All these, ill-kept specimens have been emanating that stench, which is a big turn-off for the children, some of whom have vomited after visiting the museum, according to Yadaiah, a child rights resource person, who recently took a batch of children to the health museum, only to be shocked to witness its plight.

“There was no water and the entire area was smelling really bad. some of the children puked after coming out. This is nothing but a child rights violation, as it is affecting their health,” he told Siasat.com.

Many of the exhibits (mostly old photographs) have no description, though there are rare photographs of world-renowned scientists, and historic events at the museum and in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The wooden galleries have been broken in some parts, and the photographs have been fading away due to lack of upkeep.

“There used to be a doctor, two male supervisors, a female supervisor, a health educator, sweepers and helpers to serve the museum till 2022, when the then government brought in GO 142, and removed the prominent posts,” says Yugandhar Reddy, who recently joined the museum as the health educator.

Presently, apart from him, there are only two sweepers deputed at the health museum.

The health museum falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the director of public health, medical and health department.

What Nehru said about the museum

“A very fine health museum. I wish other cities had something like this,” stated former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, when he was presented the “Hyderabad Health Museum Booklet,” which was dedicated to him on January 23, 1953, by CL Ahluwalia and Phoolchand Gandhi, the health minister of the erstwhile Hyderabad government.

Dr P Arunachalam, the then director of medical services, Madras, had appreciated the museum in a similar fashion on November 30, 1951.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the health museum today. all the exhibits are well arranged and they are of great educative value to the lay public. I would suggest that greater space must be allotted to the museum. I congratulate Dr Ahluwalia and his staff for the splendid work which is being done here,” he had stated.

It was probably after that, the museum was shifted to the Public Gardens.

Most of the exhibits have been prepared before the advent of the new millennium, which is evident from the dates, events and aspects on which the exhibits were made. The health museum not only cries for attention but also yearns to leap into the future of health sciences, while preserving the foundations laid by many health experts who have preserved whatever is left, at this great historic museum which stood the test of time.

Despite its current condition, the health museum is a must-visit especially for school children, and every person who is health conscious and wants to learn about it.