Kottayam hospital building collapse ignites violent Opposition protests across Kerala
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought to cast the incident as a symbol of governmental mismanagement and disregard towards ordinary people who rely on State-funded hospitals for subsidised medical care.
The cave-in of a portion of the hospital, which housed decades-old toilets accessible to patients and bystanders from the post-operative wards, has emerged as the centre of an acrimonious political struggle, with Opposition party leaders accusing Health Minister Veena George of turning her back on the welfare and safety of the sick and the ailing.
Congress workers carrying a wooden coffin marched to Ms. George's private residence in Pathanamthitta district. The police used iron barricades and water cannons to block and disperse the belligerent workers.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Mahila Congress workers protested outside Ms. George's office in the Secretariat annexe, prompting the police to arrest and remove them from the spot.
Almost simultaneously, BJP activists marched to Ms. George's official residence. They clambered on top of the iron barriers placed by the police, prompting law enforcers to use water cannon. BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan inaugurated the march.
In Kottayam, Youth Congress workers led by their State president, Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, laid siege to the medical college hospital, braving police water cannons.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJP leaders made a beeline for Bindu's residence at Thalayolaparambu in Kottayam to attend her funeral.
Opposition charge
Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan alleged that 'the callous statements' of Ms. George and Cooporation Minister V.N. Vasavan had impeded timely search and rescue operations that could have saved Bindu's life.
He said the Ministers, who visited the accident site on Thursday, insisted that the portion of the building was rarely used and that it was doubtful any person was trapped in the debris.
Mr. Satheesan said 'no Minister had the heart' to call on Bindu's bereaved family. He demanded that the government make an immediate ex gratia payment for Bindu's family, underwrite her children's education and reconstruct her dilapidated house.
When asked why the Congress government did not act when the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had flagged the 68-year-old hospital building's structural instability in 2012, Mr. Satheesan said: 'Hospital management and administration is a perpetual process. The LDF had nine years to act on the CAG's report'.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, demanded Ms. George's resignation.
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