Kottayam Medical College Building Collapse: Kerala Govt Under Fire After Woman Dies Due To Delayed Rescue

Thiruvananthapuram: A 54-year-old woman died in Kerala after a section of the Kottayam medical college building collapsed in the morning hours of Thursday, July 3. The woman identified as Bindu, was trapped in the rubble for over two hours. The accident occurred when she went to take a bath in the hospital building. Two others, including a child, has been injured. The incident has sparked severe opposition in Kerala, including demands of Health Minister Veena George's resignation.

According to reports, Bindu was at the hospital as a bystander for her daughter, who was admitted there. The authorities came to know that the woman was trapped inside only after Bindu's daughter made a complaint that her mother was missing. The part of the building that collapsed was a bathroom in Ward 14. While the government said that the bathroom was unused, one of the bystanders disputed the claim. "No one told us not to use the toilets there," she told the media.

Huge protests across Kerala

Congress has alleged that the state government tried to downplay the incident. Opposition leader VD Satheesan said that the rescue operation was not carried out properly. He criticised Veena George and Minister KN Vasavan for causing delay in the rescue operation, which led to the tragic death.“The ministers declared that no one was trapped in the rubble soon after the collapse, resulting in the delay. Kerala's health department is on ventilator. Instead of addressing critical issues, the minister is doing PR,” he added, demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident. 

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Kerala's healthcare system was built on lies.“The recent death due to a building collapse at Kottayam medical college is the latest example. The government's attempt to cover up by claiming the collapsed building was unused is unacceptable. The government is responsible for ensuring the safety of patients in hospitals. If the building was unsafe, why weren't people warned or access restricted? The government must explain. The Chief Minister should remove the Health Minister, who is responsible for the major failures in Kerala's healthcare system,” he added.

Congress held protests were in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam demanding the resignation of minister Veena George. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was incidentally in the district today, faced black flag protests.

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