Princess Niloufer was the second daughter in law of the erstwhile King of Hyderabad state, Nawab Mir Usman Ali Khan. She was the President of Hyderabad Women & Children Medical Aid Society. Princess Niloufer laid the foundation for the hospital on 29
th April, 1949 with the primary objective of providing referral services and for imparting training for A.N.M. And health visitors. The Hospital was inaugurated by Raj Kumar Amrit Kaur, erstwhile Union Health Minister, on 31
st March 1953. Hospital started functioning from 15
th Aug 1953 with a bed strength of 50 Pediatric and 50 maternity beds. Bed strength has been increased to 150 in 1955. Dr. Harischandra took over as Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital in 1958 and the bed strength has been increased to 250 and D.C.H. Training was started. M.D. In Pediatrics was started in 1960 affiliated to Osmania University. Dr. Harischandra nurtured the hospital with tender care and foresight and made it a premier pediatric institution in South India. UNICEF aid was obtained for the development of the hospital and WHO training programmes were conducted in Niloufer Hospital.
Senior most Pediatricians in the state of Andhra Pradesh used to be the Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital, with few exceptions of, Pediatric surgeons as superintendents. Dr. G. Purushotham Rao, Dr. Y.R. Reddy, Dr. Lavanya Mukherjee, Dr. S.V.R. Reddy, Dr. P.S. Murthy, Dr. B.C. Mathur, Dr. Sheila Karan, Dr. I.S. Rao, Dr. Gnaneshwar, Dr. S. Narasimha Rao and Dr. P. Sudershan Reddy are the subsequent Prof. Of Pediatrics who became superintendents of Niloufer Hospital. Bed strength has incraeased to 350 and then to 500 with increasing demands of the society. Now the bed occupancy rate is 200% and every day more than hundred cases are admitted. More than a thousand children are attended to, in the outpatient department.
Department of Pediatrics at Niloufer Hospital is the oldest upgraded department in the country, providing round the clock emergency services, every day immunization services, child nutrition services, school health services with dental, ophthalmic and E.N.T. Screening, child guidance clinic, well baby clinic, adolescence clinic, asthma clinic. Department of Child Psychiatry also runs a school for mentally challenged. National Institute of Nutrition provides treatment and research in nutritional disorders. At present the department of Pediatrics at Niloufer Hospital is having six units of general pediatrics meeting the M.C.I. Regulations, one Neonatology unit and one emergency ward; and Neonatal and Pediatric intensive care units. Pediatric cardiology and Pediatric Neurology. The Department of Pediatrics is well supported by laboratory services like Biochemistry, Pathology and Microbiology and Pediatric Imagiology. Modern facilities like Pediatric ventilators Multi channel monitors; infusion pumps and equipment for temperature regulation are available.
In addition to the patient care, Department of Pediatrics at Niloufer hospital is authorized to take up Arogyasree scheme by Government of Andhra Pradesh under Rajiv Arogyasree trust. Postgraduate and undergraduate teaching is undertaken under Osmania Medical College, affiliated to N.T.R. Health University. Department of Pediatrics regularly conducts clinical meetings, journal clubs, topics in recent medical advances, thesis meetings workshops, guest lectures, ward rounds, in addition to bedside teaching. Department also Conducts Social Service Camps for screening rural children. Also conducts conferences at local, state and National level along with Indian Academy of Pediatrics. It also regularly takes part in Medical exhibitions creating awareness among public. Pediatric department also published a quarterly bulletin, circulated to all the teaching hospitals.
Dr. Harischandra was the pioneer in setting up Department of Social Pediatrics and Department of Neonatology in the country, in addition to planning for pediatric super specialities. First All India conference of Pediatrics was held at Niloufer hospital, Hyderabad on 1st April, 1963.
Dr. G. Purushothama Rao was trained in Pediatric Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Y. Ramachandra Reddy was an astute Pediatrician and a popular teacher, retired as Director of Medical and Health Services of Andhra Pradesh. Dr. S.V.R. Reddy was a good postgraduate guide and obtained Ph.D. In Pediatric nutrition, First to get a Ph.D. Among Pediatricians of Andhra Pradesh. Dr. P.S. Murthy is popular teacher and orator with good sense of humor with special interest in Pediatric pulmonology. Dr. Sheila Karan was the first postgraduate guide and obtained Ph.D in Pediatric nutrition, First to get a Ph.D. Among Pediatricians of Andhra Pradesh. Dr. P.S. Murthy is popular teacher and orator with good sense of humor with special interest in Pediatric pulmonology. Dr. Sheila Karan was the first Neonatologist in the state and published many scientific papers. Dr. B.C. Mathur was a gentle Pediatrician with words of encouragement to the students. Dr. Gnaneshwar is a good clinician and teacher always available with a solution to the day to day problems. Dr. I.S. Rao is a born leader, and gave his services as Vice President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. S. Narasimha Rao is a good teacher with an eye on research, solving pediatric problems. Dr. P. Sudershan Reddy is a very popular teacher and Pediatrician, with many books to his credit in vernacular language with solutions for common Pediatric problems. He has a vision in developing the Niloufer hospital in to a Multi Speciality Pediatric Hospital in near future.
List of Heads of the Department, Pediatrics:
Dr. Harischandra
Dr. G. Purushottama Rao
Dr. Lavanya Mukherjee
Dr. Y. R. Reddy
Dr. S.V.R. Reddy
Dr. P.S. Murthy
Dr. Sheila Karan
Dr. Lakshmi Dhananjaya
Dr. B. Suresh
Dr. Ajit Kumar (Later baceme principal OMC)
Dr. Ch. Shyamalamba
Dr. I. Saraswathi
Dr. T.P. Raghavan
Dr. P.V. Gopala Krishna
Dr. Murali Mohan (Later became D.M.E.)
Dr. I.S. Rao
Dr. G. Gnaneshwar
Dr. S. Narasimha Rao
Dr. P.S. Reddy