Ananya, the new facility at SSKM Hospital, has started admitting patients following the hospital’s tie-up with four public sector insurance companies, officials said.

SSKM plans to soon collaborate with private insurers as well, ensuring that patients with private health coverage can access treatment. While Ananya is a paid facility, the charges are lower than those at private hospitals.

Concerns remain, however, over how accessible the facility will be to the general public. Limited access to treatment at government hospitals and medical colleges has long been a major challenge in Bengal’s healthcare sector.

Admission to Ananya requires an “admission advice” from senior doctors at SSKM’s outpatient department (OPD), from Ananya’s own OPD, or from the hospital’s emergency unit, said health department officials.

“We have completed tie-ups with National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance, and United India Insurance,” an SSKM official said.

Patients who are already admitted elsewhere, including other government hospitals, will not be admitted to Ananya unless senior doctors at SSKM recommend it. “Once advised, the patient’s family can choose whether to continue at SSKM, where treatment is free, or opt for Ananya, the paid facility,” the official explained.

When fully operational, Ananya will offer 92 single-occupancy rooms and 8 super-deluxe rooms, along with 21 CCU and HDU beds. Currently, it has begun admitting patients on one floor, which houses 17 single-occupancy rooms.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Ananya, also referred to as Woodburn 2, on September 16. SSKM officials said OPD services started in mid-October, but patient admissions began only in the past few days.

Healthcare administrators have said that the success of Ananya will depend on seamless patient access, accountability of doctors and staff, and overall service delivery at the facility.

Bengal’s per capita out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure was ₹4,010 in 2021-22, the second-highest in India after Kerala (₹7,889). Limited access to government healthcare is a key factor contributing to these rising costs.

Ananya’s current charges include ₹5,000 per day for a single cabin, ₹8,000 per day for a single suite, ₹12,000 per day for HDU, ₹15,000 per day for ITU, and ₹350 per OPD consultation. Officials emphasised that these rates are significantly lower than private hospitals.

Treatment packages are also available. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimally invasive gall bladder surgery with a three-day stay, costs ₹33,000. The same procedure at a private hospital would cost between ₹70,000 and ₹80,000.

A unilateral knee replacement with a four-day stay at Ananya is priced at ₹70,000, with implant charges billed separately.

SSKM officials said there will be no hidden costs. “If ICU or HDU admission is needed during the package tenure, no extra charges will be applied. Only if the stay exceeds the package duration will separate charges apply. All pathological tests are included in the daily rates,” said an official.

Package and bed charges cover doctors’ visits, meals, and an attendant. A single suite comes equipped with a refrigerator, TV, and Wi-Fi connection.