Kerala High Court Seeks State's Stand On Fixing Safety Lapses In Public Hospitals Following Kottayam Medical College Building Collapse

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (November 5) directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to file an affidavit stating how the State Government is proposing to address the shortfalls pointed by the State Council for Clinical Establishment with respect to public hospitals in the State.The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was considering a public interest litigation seeking safety standards at public medical facilities, following the collapse of the Kottayam Medical College building.Today, the State Attorney told the Court that he has placed on record the consolidated report furnished by the Grievance Redressal Committee. The same was communicated to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department by the State Council for Clinical Establishments. The report is stated to be based on the information supplied by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) based on visits by the District Legal Services Authority and Taluk Legal Services Authority in the government hospitals and Health Centres in the State.The Court had previously directed the Kerala State Legal Services Authority to conduct inspection in Government Hospitals across the State to ensure medical standards at public hospitals. After inspection, the issues pointed by the Legal Services Authorities were categorised into four: infrastructure, shortage of staff, shortage of medicine and equipment and adequacy of the premises. The Court noted that it is stated that infrastructural component, physical condition of the building requires special attention, followed by shortage of staff and, of medicine and equipment.The Court further noticed that in the communication addressed to the Addl. Chief Secretary, the State Council for Clinical Establishments had stated that Grievance Redressal Committee has categorized various issues under three heads, namely, immediate action, mid-term improvements and long-term improvements.Recording that the report has been placed before the State government, the Bench observed:“A response the state government is necessary. Even the Council has underscored the urgency for intervention. This being the data now placed before it, the state government will have to formulate a methodology for addressing the issues raised in this report as per the prioritization suggested by the Council for Clinical Establishments. Apart from premises, physical condition of the building, shortage of medicine and equipment is also of equal importance. Let the Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare department file an affidavit as how the state government proposes to proceed in light of the various shortfalls pointed out by the State Council in its report. The methodology also be placed on record in this affidavit.”“We do not expect you to address each and every. But how do you propose to go about it…Let's wait as to how the government approach…what is the plan of action that has been devised. Which issues will be addressed first. Which issues will be addressed later. Let's understand because now there is a commendable work done by KeLSA here. The State has been really aided in pointing out. Now you take it…,” the Court orally added.Thereafter, the counsel representing KeLSA also told the Court that website of the Grievance Redressal Committee (https://portal.clinicalestablishments.kerala.gov.in/Grievance/lodge_grievance), though open, is not user-friendly. On hearing the same, the Court added to its interim order:“Learned counsel for KeLSA pointed out that though the online access for Grievance Committee has been set up as stated in the affidavit, the access is not user-friendly. Learned State Attorney states that instructions will be given to make the access to the Grievance Committee more user-friendly.”The case is posted next on November 21.Case No: WP (PIL) 74/ 2025Case Title: G. Samuel & Ors. v. State of Kerala (Deleted) & Ors.Counsel for petitioners: Alex K. John, Satheesh T.P., Jilcy Jacob, Sijin Stanley, Cyrian Elias Steen, Sreekuttan M. , Suresh P.N., Arun K.V., Ninan Thomas, Gego George, Prathitha Mariyam ThomasCounsel for respondents: N. Manoj Kumar (State Attorney), Leo Lukose - KeLSAAmicus Curiae: Renjith Thampan (Sr.)

Kerala High Court Seeks State's Stand On Fixing Safety Lapses In Public Hospitals Following Kottayam Medical College Building Collapse

K. Salma Jennath

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