Kottayam Medical College building collapse: Superintendent takes responsibility

KOTTAYAM: Dr. T.K. Jayakumar, Superintendent of Kottayam Medical College Hospital, has responded to the incident in which the mother of a patient died after a building at the Medical College collapsed. He admitted responsibility for the delay in rescue and the information given to ministers.

According to Dr. Jayakumar, initial reports suggested that only two people had sustained minor injuries and that there were no serious concerns. “Both the police and fire force reported that no one was trapped under the debris,” he said.

He stated that he personally informed the ministers that no one was trapped inside based on the initial information he received from the site. “I take full responsibility for the delay in rescue operations. I briefed the ministers after speaking with the officials present at the site,” he said.

He admitted the building was structurally unsound but said it wasn’t feasible to completely halt its use. Due to the increasing number of patients, the toilet block in the old structure continued to be accessed. “Although it had been closed earlier, it was reopened when patient demand grew,” he noted.