Kottayam: Months after a deadly collapse revealed the fragile state of the old surgical block at the Medical College Hospital, the building continues to pose a serious threat, with concrete slabs and debris now falling onto the hospital’s busy pathways.

 It was in this very building that a toilet complex collapsed on July 3, killing one person. A decision to demolish the structure was taken on the same day, but it remains unimplemented.

Concrete slabs and debris from the building, now on the verge of collapse, keep on falling onto the road, which is used by hundreds of people daily. Numerous vehicles are also parked close to the structure. On several occasions, accidents have been narrowly avoided.

The passage, used for shifting patients from the OP and emergency departments to the wards, also runs through this building. Patients say the delay in demolition poses a serious threat to life. Besides patients, bystanders too regularly use this route and the surrounding areas.

Studies conducted by various agencies, including one carried out by the Health Department through the Uralungal Society, have confirmed that the surgical block lacks structural stability. Based on these findings, the Health Department has forwarded a request to the Public Works Department to demolish the building. The responsibility for taking action lies with the Buildings Wing of the PWD, and it is learnt that procedural requirements for demolishing government buildings are causing the delay.

Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for the construction of an alternative route to safely move patients to the wards.