Four medical colleges are in expansion mode and will add around 850 beds in a couple of years with demand outpacing supply in the state’s healthcare sector.

“This is the largest expansion of state-run hospitals in terms of beds. New super-speciality units are being set up in these hospitals, resulting in the rise in the number of beds,” said S.N. Banerjee, the director of medical education.

SSKM Hospital, which has 1,700 beds, will set up a 10-12 storeyed building with 200 beds. “The building, to be ready in two years, will house a modern trauma care centre as well as other surgical units and ITUs,” said medical superintendent Debasis Bhattacharyya.

Officials said a diagnostic hub would function from the ground floor of the building, which will come up at the site of the residential quarters for Group D employees that are being shifted.

The cost will be borne by the state government and the National Highway Authority of India (which pumps in money for trauma care in centres close to highways).

The Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, functioning with 1,300 beds, will have 350 more in a year. “The extra beds will be set up in a proposed nine-storeyed building which will house a regional cancer centre and some other super-speciality departments,” said principal Utpal Dutta.

The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital will add 200 beds to its present strength of 1,200. “A number of super-speciality units — such as plastic surgery, urology and physical medicine — will be introduced. The four-storeyed outpatients’ department is nearing completion,” said medical superintendent L.K. Vaid.

The 1,890-bed strong NRS Medical College and Hospital will have 100 additional beds.

Sources in the health department said the new beds would ease the load on the resource-starved state healthcare but they were too few considering the patient turnout at the city medical colleges.

Medical education director Banerjee admitted that the 850-odd extra beds could not fully solve the problem.

“But once the new facilities start functioning, the rate of refusal will surely come down,” he added.

Officials said around 30 per cent of the patients seeking admission are turned away because of shortage of beds. “Most hospitals are forced to admit patients on the floor, which increases the risk of acquired infection,” said an official at Swasthya Bhavan.