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Political Casualty: Poor, middle-class denied affordable healthcare, as TIMS project stalls

The Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) project, aimed at providing affordable super-speciality care and medical education, is significantly delayed. Four hospitals in Hyderabad remain incomplete, forcing poor and middle-class families to rely on costly corporate or limited government facilities

By M. Sai Gopal
Published Date - 24 November 2025, 04:54 PM
Political Casualty: Poor, middle-class denied affordable healthcare, as TIMS project stalls
Representational Image

Hyderabad: The inordinate delay in the establishment of the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), a novel initiative envisaged by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, is denying poor and middle-class families of Telangana access to affordable and quality super-speciality medical services, which are largely unaffordable at Hyderabad’s corporate hospitals.

For decades, the economically weaker sections of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (before statehood) relied on Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Gandhi Hospital, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and MGM Warangal to access affordable super-speciality medical care.

However, due to an ever-increasing population, all top tertiary government hospitals in Hyderabad are now overwhelmed by heavy patient inflow, making it difficult to maintain the high quality of medical care expected of super-speciality hospitals. Except for Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), the middle-class families in Hyderabad and districts lack an affordable alternative for high-end medical treatment.

Today, most middle-class families rely heavily on small and medium-sized nursing homes, incurring substantial out-of-pocket expenditures, and shudder at the thought of inpatient admission at a corporate facility.

“Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, anticipated such difficulties in accessing affordable high-end medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Keeping in mind the future needs of the burgeoning population of Hyderabad and Telangana, he decided to establish TIMS in four corners of Hyderabad. At present, the works related to development of these health care facilities have been inordinately delayed. It is the poor and the middle class who are suffering,” former Health Minister T Harish Rao posted on X.

The four TIMS facilities, at Gachibowli, LB Nagar, Alwal and Sanathnagar, were to be developed with a total cost of Rs 2,679 crore. They were designed to function as autonomous institutions specifically aimed at providing a high standard of PG medical education in various branches of medicine, attaining self-sufficiency in PG medical education and promoting medical research.

To ensure autonomy and financial independence, the then BRS government passed TIMS Act, which provided a much-needed legal framework, semi-autonomous status, along the lines of existing NIMS. The TIMS, apart from all super-speciality services, was also supposed to have dedicated dental and nursing colleges and offer paramedical and allied courses like physiotherapy, occupational therapists and medical technicians.

“This is high time that the Congress Government in Telangana set aside its political vendetta, which is costing poor and middle-class families. At least now, they should immediately complete the construction of all four TIMS hospitals,” T Harish Rao on X said.

TIMS budget revision:

  • TIMS budget: Original project cost
  • TIMS LB Nagar: Rs 900 crore
  • TIMS Sanathnagar: Rs 882 crore
  • TIMS Alwal, Medchal: Rs 897 crore
  • Original total cost: Rs 2,679 crore
  • Alleged inflated cost: Rs 6,714 crore
  • Revised cost now: Rs 5,001 crore

Objectives of TIMS:

  • Provide affordable super-speciality health care to poor and middle class
  • PG medical education, dental and nursing colleges in all branches
  • Provide medical education facilities of highest order
  • Push research and attain self-sufficiency in PG medicine
  • Training courses in all the allied health care services

TIMS timeline:

  • 2020 Covid pandemic: TIMS Gachibowli was established, converting a sports hostel into a dedicated Covid-19 hospital
  • June 2021: The BRS cabinet of K Chandrashekhar Rao approved to establishment of 4 TIMS in four corners of Hyderabad hospitals
  • April 26, 2022: K Chandrashekhar Rao laid the foundation at Alwal, LB Nagar, and Sanathnagar
  • August 2023: TIMS Bill was passed in the assembly, providing a legal framework and autonomy for the establishment and governance of these super-speciality institutions

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