Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 (IANS) Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, who had recently taken a jibe at the previous Left government in the state Assembly over ceiling collapses at the newly opened Surgical Block of Kottayam Medical College, has now sought a Vigilance probe into the construction of the Rs 270 crore building.
In a letter to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday, Muraleedharan has called for a comprehensive investigation into alleged construction irregularities, technical defects, lapses in execution and supervision, and possible financial wrongdoing.
During the recently concluded Assembly session, the Minister had taken potshots at the opposition CPI-M, joking that the building inaugurated by the previous Left government had started falling apart.
His remark came against the backdrop of ceiling collapses within months of the block being opened.
The new Surgical Block was inaugurated on February 16, 2026, by the then Left government.
But the repeated collapse of ceiling portions has raised serious questions about the quality of construction and the safety of patients, doctors and hospital staff.
The Minister has also directed the Health Department’s Additional Chief Secretary A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish to appoint a technical committee to inspect the building and assess its structural safety.
The committee has been asked to identify construction defects and ensure that they are rectified.
Urgent safety measures have also been sought.
Apart from the ceiling collapses, defects have reportedly been found in civil, plumbing and electrical works.
The investigation will examine whether the construction followed approved technical standards and whether proper quality checks and supervision were carried out.
The Minister has also sought scrutiny of financial transactions connected with the project.
With a building meant to provide advanced medical care repeatedly raising safety concerns, Muraleedharan wants the technical inspection and Vigilance investigation completed without delay.
Incidentally this is not the first probe that Muraleedharan has sought, as among the other probes sought include the purchase of hospital furniture in Ayurveda hospitals, Oushadhi financial irregularities, KMSCL bleaching powder purchase and the Covid-19 purchases.
–IANS
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