The controversy over the utilisation of the Kochi Corporation’s old main office building has once again resurfaced, with Congress leader and Health Minister K. Muraleedharan suggesting that the building be used for the expansion of the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH).

However, the Congress-led Kochi Corporation is not in favour of the proposal, which has further complicated the issue for the authorities.

The previous council, led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), had proposed converting the building into a heritage structure as the civic body was moving to its new office.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden had opposed the proposal and pushed for using the building and the Corporation’s land for the expansion of the hospital, which lies adjacent to the civic body’s building.

Mayor V.K. Minimol distanced herself from the Health Minister’s proposal and said there were no plans to hand over the building and the Corporation’s land to the GH.

“The council will not agree to the proposal. We have already lost a few of our buildings. The Corporation cannot afford to lose all of its buildings like that,” said Ms. Minimol.

Maintaining that no one was against the expansion of the hospital, she said that if the District Medical Officer’s building on the campus was demolished, the hospital would get enough space for its expansion.

Mr. Eden said the civic body would have to hand over the property to the hospital for its expansion, whether it liked it or not. “It will definitely happen in the future. The GH is a public-sector hospital equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities. It has been carrying out several trailblazing reforms in public health care. The hospital’s expansion is the need of the hour, and when such a huge space exists adjacent to the hospital, there is so much that can be done,” said Mr. Eden.

He added that the larger public good should be considered instead of viewing the building merely as a source of revenue.

“We are not trying to move into a zone of conflict, but I will fight to get this space to offer better healthcare facilities to the public,” he said.

Ernakulam MLA T.J. Vinod said a decision on the best way to use the building for the benefit of the public should be arrived at through discussions with various stakeholders, including the Corporation.

V.A. Sreejith, LDF parliamentary party leader in the Corporation council, backed the Mayor and said that the hospital could expand on its own premises.

“Some of our offices are still functioning in the old Corporation building, such as the Vyttila zoning office. They will move out once a new building is constructed. But soon, the Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development will be housed here,” said Mr. Sreejith.

Published - August 05, 2026 08:10 pm IST