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Bangladeshi cancer patients and their relatives seeking treatment in Kolkata are being forced to spend nights on streets after struggling to find affordable accommodation, as a number of hotels and guesthouses across the city have been shut down.
The crisis has worsened following a deadly fire at the Shikha Inn hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in New Market. Kolkata authorities have since tightened safety inspections and ordered the closure of several hotels, guesthouses and lodges over inadequate fire-safety arrangements, including in the New Market, Thakurpukur and Mukundapur areas.
The closures have hit patients and families seeking cancer treatment around the hospitals in Thakurpukur particularly hard. Many low-cost hotels have reportedly been closed, while some of those still operating have sharply increased their rates, in some cases charging several times the previous price.
With few affordable options available, relatives of Bangladeshi patients have been seen spending nights on pavements and by roadsides near hospitals. Patients and families travelling from different parts of West Bengal are facing similar difficulties.
The monsoon has made conditions even more difficult. Families sleeping outdoors are exposed to mosquitoes and the risk of diseases such as dengue and malaria, while many lack access to adequate bathing and toilet facilities and have to depend on hospitals for basic amenities.
For cancer patients, adequate rest is particularly important after chemotherapy. But staying beside busy roads exposes them to traffic noise, horns and the constant activity of the city, making recovery more difficult.
In areas near hospitals in Thakurpukur, several Bangladeshi families have been seen sitting or sleeping along the roadside, with luggage and medicines beside them. Many say they are uncertain how long they will have to remain in such conditions.
Bangladeshi nationals also complain that hotels where they previously stayed at affordable rates have closed, while remaining establishments are demanding three times—or even more—the previous rates, putting accommodation beyond the reach of many families with limited means.
Khursid Alam from Jashore travelled to Thakurpukur with his family to seek cancer treatment for his mother-in-law. After admitting her to hospital, the family was unable to find a hotel and has been spending nights on the pavement.
“We were asked to leave the hotel where we used to stay because it was going to be closed. Since then, we spend the day at the hospital with the patient and return to the street at night. We do not know how long this will continue,” he said.
West Bengal residents are also facing similar problems. Dulal Das from East Midnapore said his son is undergoing cancer treatment. Although his son is admitted to hospital, Das has been forced to spend nights on a pavement after failing to find accommodation.
Mohammad Pavel from Satkhira is in Thakurpukur for his mother’s cancer treatment. He said that after failing to find a room at any nearby hotel, he has been spending night after night sitting or sleeping on the pavement.