In a tragic incident from Kerala, a portion of a building collapsed at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, killing one woman and injuring three others on Thursday, July 3.
Alleged Sequence of Events
As per reports, the incident occurred around 10:30 AM when a portion of the 68-year-old building—specifically a bathroom complex attached to the orthopedics department—collapsed. People present nearby managed to rescue two injured individuals from the debris.
The injured were identified as an 11-year-old girl named Aleena Vincent, a resident of Meenagadi in Wayanad who was undergoing treatment in Ward 10, and a 38-year-old man named Jinu Saji. Amal Pradeep, a hospital staff member, was also injured during the evacuation of patients. All three were taken to the casualty ward for treatment.
Minister’s Visit and Rescue Lapse
Soon after, Health Minister Veena George and Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan arrived at the site and claimed the building was not in use and that no one was trapped under the debris.
But the ministers’ claims were contradicted when a patient named Navami, undergoing treatment in the Neuro Department of the hospital, said her mother had gone to the washroom in the collapsed building and wasn’t responding to calls.
Authorities then launched a thorough search, and according to bystanders, rescue operations began around 12:40 PM. Bindu, a resident of Thalayolaparambu, was finally pulled out around 1 PM and shifted to the casualty ward, but she succumbed to her injuries.
Opposition Parties Respond
The opposition parties accused the ministers of trying to downplay the seriousness of the incident. They said the woman was rescued nearly 2.5 hours later—only after her daughter alerted officials—and her life could have been saved with timely action.
They also alleged this reflects repeated failures in the state’s healthcare system and called for a formal enquiry into what went wrong.
Health Minister’s Statement
Speaking to the media, Veena George denied any lapses in the rescue operation. She said,
“Everything possible was done. Rescue operations began as soon as the accident occurred. But it was difficult to get the earthmoving machines inside the hospital. After making a special route, the machines were taken to the accident site.”
She added that police and fire department teams were deployed for the operation, and patients from Wards 10, 11, and 14 were relocated as a precaution to the new building. The affected ward will now be shut completely.
PIL Filed
Following the incident, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Kerala High Court demanding urgent reforms in the state’s healthcare system. Petitioners questioned why the unsafe building was still in use despite being flagged by the Public Works Department (PWD) and called for a formal investigation and accountability.
What It Shows
Negligence in maintaining old hospital buildings poses a serious threat to patients and their families. The incident has raised alarm over safety standards in public institutions and the need for immediate structural audits.
(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)