Play store
Several hospitals in Kolkata are taking steps to address accommodation problems faced by Bangladeshi patients and their families seeking treatment in the Indian city.
According to The Times of India, several Kolkata hospitals plan to send representatives to Bangladesh in the coming weeks to meet patients and their families, provide guidance on safe accommodation and help them book rooms at hotels with the necessary safety approvals.
The hospitals are also entering into arrangements with nearby hotels and guesthouses to ensure safer and more convenient accommodation for Bangladeshi patients.
The move comes amid a sharp decline in the number of Bangladeshis travelling to Kolkata for medical treatment due to visa and accommodation difficulties.
The situation worsened after a devastating fire at a hotel near New Market on August 19 killed nine people, including seven Bangladeshis. Following the incident, authorities shut down many low-cost hotels over alleged safety violations, creating an accommodation crisis for Bangladeshi visitors.
BP Poddar Hospital in New Alipore plans to send a team to Bangladesh next week. The hospital is also developing its own accommodation facility near its campus for Bangladeshi patients.
Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital is likewise planning to send a delegation to Bangladesh and has reached agreements with several hotels and guesthouses in the Alipore area.
Ruby General Hospital in Kasba has also launched a dedicated desk to assist Bangladeshi patients with accommodation.
The hospital has prepared a list of safe nearby hotels and is helping patients make bookings before travelling to Kolkata.
Hospital authorities hope these initiatives will reduce the accommodation-related difficulties faced by Bangladeshi patients and help restore confidence in Kolkata’s medical tourism sector.
