At the Pathanamthitta General Hospital, allegations of substandard construction are resurfaced
Pathanamthitta General Hospital | Photo credit: LEJU KAMAL
A fresh controversy has erupted over the construction of new buildings at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital after the project engineer allegedly admitted that the hasty execution of the work ahead of the assembly elections had compromised the quality of the structures.
The disclosure was made during a meeting of the Hospital Management Committee (HMC) held on Friday evening in the presence of Aranmula legislator Abin Varkey. After the revelation, the MLA and the district panchayat ordered the officials to check all the construction works and conduct a detailed audit of the accounts.
District panchayat vice-president Aneesh Varikkannamala confirmed the development and said an engineer representing the project consultant admitted that the work was carried out under political pressure without adequate quality checks. “When asked, the engineer said that the plastering of the walls was rushed and the white cement was applied before it set. He also noted that only about 60 per cent of the work was completed at the time of the inauguration,” Mr. Varikkannamala said.
Mr. Varkey took serious note of this revelation and decided to examine all the files related to the project, while District Panchayat President Deenamma Roy directed the officials concerned to produce all relevant records for verification. “A meeting of all stakeholders, including designers, contractors and subcontractors, will be convened soon to assess the structural stability of the buildings,” added Mr. Varikkannamala.
Hasty inauguration
The controversy stems from the pre-election inauguration of the critical care unit under construction and the OP unit at the hospital, which drew criticism at the time. The Congress claimed that the buildings were still mid-construction and were inaugurated at the instigation of the then Health Minister Veena George, who was also a local legislator. The OP block is being constructed on an area of 31,200 sq ft using ₹ 22.16 crore sanctioned under Nabard funding, while the critical care block is being constructed at ₹ 23.62 crore under NHM funds.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress has filed a complaint with the Home Secretary to investigate alleged irregularities in the construction of new hospital buildings. The complaint filed by Nahas Pathanamthitta, also a member of the HMC, alleges political and administrative interference during the construction of the two buildings. It also cites a lack of transparency in tendering and financial transactions and claims that structural defects pose a safety risk to patients and the public.
Published – 24 May 2026 18:57 IST