THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan has come out in defence of Health Minister Veena George and Minister V.N. Vasavan, who are facing criticism following the incident in which a woman died after a building collapsed at the Kottayam Medical College. He said that the delay in rescue operations was a natural one, stemming from the time it takes to locate those trapped under debris.

Speaking at a press conference, Govindan stated that the initial information provided to the ministers indicated that only two people had sustained injuries. However, it later became clear that this information was incorrect. Govindan, who reaffirmed that the Health Minister would not resign, added that the opposition was spreading confusion and distorting facts.

"The protesters are raising allegations which even the relatives of the deceased have not made. The ministers first spoke about the details that they received from the accident site. Their responses came while rescue operations were still ongoing. Even the delay in bringing in equipment was criticised by the opposition. This is clearly a planned attack against the Health Minister," Govindan said.

"The UDF and the media are jointly attacking the health sector to pave the way for private business interests. There's a deliberate attempt to erase and misrepresent a globally recognized model. The propaganda in favour of the private sector is an anti-people move. The opposition is leading massive campaigns against the achievements in the health and education sectors. Under the Aardram Mission, the state has seen major improvements in the public health system. Meanwhile, there is an ongoing trend of corporate groups acquiring private hospitals on a large scale," Govindan added.