Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Thursday sought a VACB probe into alleged irregularities in the construction of a new surgical block at the Kottayam Government Medical College, at a cost of Rs 270 crore.
In a statement, the minister’s office said he had written to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala seeking a comprehensive investigation by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) into alleged construction irregularities, technical defects, lapses in execution and supervision, and financial irregularities.
He has also directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department to constitute a technical committee to assess the structural safety of the building and identify construction defects, the statement said.
The committee has been asked to recommend corrective measures and necessary urgent safety interventions based on its findings.
The new surgical block was inaugurated on 16 February 2026 by the previous government.
However, sections of the ceiling reportedly collapsed several times within months of its inauguration, raising concerns over the safety of patients, doctors and other hospital staff.
Apart from the ceiling collapses, serious defects have also been reported in the civil, plumbing and electrical works, the statement said.
The minister said a detailed examination was necessary to determine whether the construction complied with technical standards and whether adequate quality checks and supervision were carried out.
There were also allegations that the contractor entrusted with the construction had subcontracted the work to other agencies.
The proposed investigation would examine whether contractual conditions were followed, whether there were violations in awarding subcontracts and whether there were lapses in the execution and supervision of the work, the statement said.
Muraleedharan said ensuring the safety of patients and healthcare workers at the hospital was the government’s priority and called for an early completion of the investigations and submission of reports.
(PTI News)
