In a probing session that underscored the weight of institutional accountability, the Kerala bench pressed state authorities for detailed responses on the recent collapse at Kottayam Medical College. Though the court described the public interest litigation supporting the case as “sketchily drafted,” it elected to press forward, citing the gravity of lapses in government hospital infrastructure.
Rather than dismissing the petition outright, the judges outlined a series of pointed questions for the state government. Among them: What precise factors led to the battering down of critical structures? Were routine safety inspections carried out, and if so, why did they fail to identify impending risks? How will the administration guarantee that patients and staff are not further endangered by crumbling facilities?
The hearing emphasized that procedural flaws—even in a poorly framed application—cannot eclipse the urgent need to safeguard public well-being. With lives potentially at stake, the court’s decision signals a zero-tolerance approach to even the specter of negligence in state-run healthcare institutions.
