The family of a 28-year-old homemaker, who suffered over 90 per cent burns in a suicide attempt on Monday evening, had to approach four hospitals and wait nearly 18 hours for her treatment.

Gopa Mitra (name changed) tried to commit suicide in her Dum Dum Cantonment home around 6.30pm unable to bear her husband’s extra-marital affair, said her relatives.

Around 7pm, they took her to Medical College and Hospital, followed by Kothari Medical Centre and Research Institute and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Officials of all three hospitals claimed their burn wards were under-equipped.

“The hospitals turned us away saying their burns wards were not equipped to handle such a case. We don’t know how that is possible at such reputable hospitals,” Mamata Das, Gopa’s sister-in-law, told Metro.

Bengal’s director of medical education, Soumendra Nath Banerjee, declined comment on the matter.

Around midnight, Gopa was taken to SSKM Hospital, where she was first admitted to the emergency ward and then shifted to the New Casualty Block.

She was finally admitted to the burns ward around noon on Tuesday.

“Even at SSKM, we had to run from pillar to post all morning to get Gopa admitted to the burns ward,” said brother Biswajit Das.

“There was a severe shortage of beds but despite that we had admitted her and started her treatment. Her condition remains critical as she has suffered more than 90 per cent burns,” said a senior official at SSKM Hospital.

Gopa’s husband Debasish Mitra, a promoter, did not turn up at the hospital. He has not been seen since Monday evening. A police complaint has not been lodged against him yet. The couple have a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.