Private hospital beds across the city have become critically scarce, with many patients being turned away from emergency wards as the city grapples with a perfect storm of healthcare challenges.

A surge in flu cases and a pre-Puja rush for planned surgeries are driving the shortage, compounded by lengthy insurance clearance delays that prevent timely patient discharges, hospital officials and doctors said.

The crisis has reached such severity that some private hospitals are experiencing conditions typically associated with government facilities, with patients and families reporting long waits and frequent rejections.

The human cost of the shortage is becoming apparent in individual cases. A 72-year-old man suffering from blood dysentery arrived at a private healthcare facility in Dhakuria on Wednesday with falling blood pressure and pulse rate. Despite doctors determining he needed intensive care, the family was told all ICU beds were occupied.

“We waited for nearly three hours and then took him to another hospital where he got admitted,” said a family member.

A 40-year-old woman scheduled for laparoscopic surgery waited from 10am until 6pm at a private hospital in Alipore before securing admission.

Occupancy rates soar

Hospital officials confirm that admissions have spiked since early July, with the crisis intensifying over the past week.

“There has been a spike in admissions. The occupancy has increased to more than 85 per cent. Critical care beds are having the highest occupancy,” said R. Venkatesh, group COO of Narayana Health, which operates several city hospitals, including
RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences at Mukundapur.

The pattern extends across Narayana’s network. “A similar trend is seen even in the Howrah unit, where there has been a good increase in admissions and occupancy over the last few days,” Venkatesh said.

At Peerless Hospital, all 16 emergency ward beds remain full throughout most days. Chief executive Sudipta Mitra reports 85 per cent overall occupancy, creating delays in transferring patients from emergency wards.

“There is a surge in the number of patients, resulting in long waits at the emergency ward. The stagnation is worse during the day compared to night because of delays in discharging patients with health insurance,” Mitra said.

Belle Vue Clinic has seen daily emergency cases jump from the usual 70-80 patients to 100-105, according to CEO Pradip Tondon.

Ayanabh Debgupta, regional chief operating officer, Manipal Hospitals (East), said: “Across our five hospitals in Calcutta, we are currently operating at 95 per cent occupancy, a sharp rise of 15 per cent over the past ten days. Our Emergency teams are fully mobilised, and medical and nursing staff are working tirelessly to ensure every patient receives timely and seamless care.”

Seasonal factors

The timing reflects predictable healthcare patterns, Venkatesh of Narayana Health said. Hospital occupancy typically drops between April and June due to school holidays and family travel, while October and November see reduced admissions during festival season.

As a result, he said, the period between July and September is when there are spikes in admissions as people complete postponed elective procedures.

Flu outbreak

Medical experts identify a flu outbreak as a key driver of the current crisis, particularly affecting elderly patients with underlying conditions.

“In the last week, there has been an outbreak of flu. Many patients who are elderly and have conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma need admission. This is mainly because of the hot and humid conditions and fluctuations in temperature,” said Chandramouli Bhattacharya, infectious
diseases expert at Peerless Hospital.

Saurabh Maji, pulmonologist and critical care specialist at RN Tagore, reports increased cases of chest infections and congestion requiring intensive care, further straining ICU capacity.