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.
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.
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 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 .