225 unsafe buildings found in 134 Government hospitals across Kerala
No preliminary steps have been taken to dismantle most of the unsafe structures identified.
No preliminary steps have been taken to dismantle most of the unsafe structures identified.
No preliminary steps have been taken to dismantle most of the unsafe structures identified.
Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 225 buildings in 134 government hospitals across Kerala — from primary health centres to district and general hospitals — have been found to be structurally unsafe and on the verge of collapse, according to a recent report by the Health Department. The findings emerged from a statewide survey conducted by the Directorate of Health Services, under which these institutions operate.
However, similar data regarding medical colleges and allied institutions that fall under the Directorate of Medical Education are yet to be released. The survey was prompted by an incident in which a woman lost her life following the collapse of an old building at the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital. The Directorate’s inspection included patient wards, bathrooms, and staff quarters.
With 41 buildings, Ernakulam tops the list with the highest number of unsafe hospital structures, followed by Alappuzha with 37. Wayanad has 14 such buildings, Kozhikode has eight, while Idukki and Kasaragod have seven each. Kannur has five, and Malappuram has four buildings listed as unsafe.
In Kottayam — the district where the recent fatal accident occurred — only the buildings at Kanjirappally General Hospital have been included in the list. No preliminary steps have been taken to dismantle most of the unsafe structures identified.
What is more concerning is that many of these dilapidated buildings continue to house patients. Others, though no longer used for patient care, have not been formally decommissioned. Instead, they serve informal purposes such as drying laundry or providing resting areas for bystanders. In several of these buildings, bathrooms remain in active use.
In some cases, new hospital blocks have been constructed dangerously close to these crumbling structures, posing an additional safety hazard. Despite the glaring risks, authorities have yet to enforce any safety regulations or initiate demolition procedures for these old buildings.