Kottayam Medical College building collapse: Tragic death sparks debate on delayed rescue

The state government, which has been embroiled in the row over equipment shortage at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, now faces flak over negligence in the maintenance of hospital infrastructure. The death of a woman following the collapse of a building block at Kottayam Medical College has triggered an intense debate over the delay in the rescue mission.

Congress MLAs Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Chandy Oommen alleged that ministers V N Vasavan and Veena George tried to conceal facts and mislead people. "Let the rescue continue at present, but they said nobody was missing and the building was not in use. Apparently, they were trying to mislead everyone," said Chandy Oommen.

Onmanorama spoke to eyewitnesses and bystanders who said that the building block housed toilets, which were used by patients of three wards. It was one of the oldest blocks of the entire Medical College building. "We often see tenders being issued for this block's maintenance. If it was not in use, why was it being maintained? This should have been demolished long back," a neighbouring resident said.

Authorities faced public ire over the delay in the rescue. The fire force personnel were ill-equipped to search the rubble with minimal machinery. Although they responded to the emergency call within minutes, there was nothing much that the fire force personnel could do to make their way through the rubble due to the absence of machinery.

The ministers kept reiterating that nobody was trapped inside. According to eyewitnesses, the initial delay proved crucial as the body of a woman named Bindu was retrieved from the rubble, two hours after the collapse. "The earth-mover arrived an hour after the incident happened. The pathway was narrow, and a part of the building had to be demolished to make way for the earth-mover. By then, there was a considerable delay in rescue operations," another person who was present at the accident site said.

Although doctors reported a faint pulse, Bindu, who was retrieved from the rubble, succumbed to wounds. Other bystanders also said that the toilets in the building were in use, and they frantically rushed to ensure that their loved ones were safe.