Kerala is still in a state of shock over the incident at Kottayam Medical College Hospital, where a woman lost her life in a building collapse. A place meant to heal has become the site of a fatal accident.

But Kottayam is not alone. In Alappuzha too, several hospitals operate from crumbling structures, silently harbouring the potential for similar tragedies. Even more alarming, newly constructed hospital blocks, which are ready for use, remain unopened. Here’s a closer look.

Alappuzha General Hospital: Patients in a building on the brink of collapse
At Alappuzha General Hospital, patients continue to be treated in a decaying structure that is over 58 years old. The concrete ceiling of this structure has collapsed multiple times. Miraculously, no injuries have occurred so far. Large sections of the roof have fallen, exposing the steel reinforcements inside. Cracks run along the walls and floors, tiles have shattered, and rainwater regularly leaks into observation rooms. On the upper floors, makeshift barricades made of old chairs and beds warn people away from the most dangerous zones.

Two wards in the old wing have been abandoned, but the surrounding areas are still in use. Patients on stretchers are often wheeled through these unsafe corridors. The surgical department on the second floor is in a similarly precarious state. Although a new seven-storey building has been completed, only the Outpatient Department (OP) and a few wards have been shifted there. Key departments, including male and female surgery, orthopaedics, medicine, emergency services, ophthalmology, laboratories, scanning, and dialysis, etc, still operate from the hazardous old building.

Harippad Taluk Hospital;  Collapse in the surgical ward
A section of the surgical ward roof at Harippad Taluk Hospital collapsed on April 20, forcing the ward to shut down immediately. Patients were immediately relocated.

Built in 1958, the ward had remained functional through repeated repairs. But recent piling work for an overbridge project as part of the National Highway development caused renewed structural damage. Staff noted that the damage was most severe near the bathroom area, where concrete slabs have fallen off and metal reinforcements are exposed. Citing these issues, the hospital superintendent has submitted a formal complaint to the Public Works Department (PWD).

Thaikkatussery Community Health Centre: Century-old structure still in use
This health centre continues to operate from a building over 100 years old. Outpatient services, registration, pediatric vaccinations and the pharmacy all function from this ageing structure. During rainfall, water leaks heavily into the building.

A temporary OP unit was built months ago, but it remains unused. A PWD inspection declared the lab, stitching room and toilets in the old building unsafe. These have since been relocated within the same premises. Ironically, the newly constructed temporary building has also developed floor leaks, and repair work is currently underway.

Kayamkulam Taluk Hospital: Unused modern emergency ward
A state-of-the-art emergency ward, constructed at a cost of  ₹1.1 crore, remains non-functional despite being inaugurated four months ago. Completed a year ago, the facility was only opened in March. after an eight-month delay, by Health Minister Veena George. But due to a lack of doctors and staff, the ward has yet to become operational. Repeated requests by the hospital superintendent, including to the minister herself, have gone unanswered.

Alappuzha Medical College: future doctors, dilapidated facilities
It’s not just patients who suffer. Students at Alappuzha Medical College, the future lifeline of the healthcare system, are being trained in crumbling buildings.

Last week, the sunshade above the pathology lab in the main building here collapsed. Thankfully, the area was empty at the time. Maintenance of these buildings has been neglected for years. Several student hostels, some over 50 years old, are in a state of disrepair. Frequent power outages are the norm, with no generator backups. Septic tanks have developed a leak. Worst of all, neither the hospital nor the college campus has proper boundary walls, posing a serious security risk.