Calcutta: A state-run referral hospital known for its crowds, grimy floors, cats, cockroaches and touts has had one of its wings overhauled to offer the amenities and add-ons of private hospitals for a fraction of their prices.

SSKM Hospital's Woodburn Block has replaced its old cabins with 16 well-appointed ones, each with a sofa-cum-bed for a family member of the patient, an LED TV, a refrigerator and a closet.

The lobbies are now air-conditioned and the lounge where families of patients can meet doctors has black upholstery set off by cream blinds.

This is the first time that a government hospital in Bengal has even attempted to provide the frills that private health care does. The pricing, of course, is where Woodburn Block makes the biggest difference.

The larger rooms on the first floor of the building cost Rs 4,000 a night while the smaller cabins on the second floor are priced at Rs 2,500. Both categories of rooms have clean, attached toilets. As in private hospitals, a bell by the bed beckons a nurse.

"The renovations have so far cost around Rs 6 crore. The rest of the block will be upgraded soon," a senior official of the health department said.

The renovation was done as part of a pilot project that, if successful, could be replicated in other state-run medical colleges and the 42 new super speciality hospitals across the state. "We are trying to find a middle path for those who seek better facilities in government hospitals but can't afford to turn to private health care because of the costs," said an official at Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the health department.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who holds the health portfolio, set up the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Regulatory Commission last year mainly in response to allegations of excessive billing and other anomalies in private hospitals.

At Woodburn Block, which opened in its new avatar in end-May, a patient pays Rs 1,200 for a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. A coronary artery bypass graft costs Rs 72,000 and a hysterectomy, which is a surgery to remove all or part of a diseased uterus, costs Rs 1,200, according to an official.

"There is no doctor fee. A patient has to pay for the room, medicines, medical investigations and surgery. All of these are done at nominal rates," he said.

Food provided to the patient at the hospital is free. If someone asks for better food, the private agency that runs the Woodburn Block makes arrangements for a fee.

The agency also provides private attendants at the rate of Rs 750 a night. In government hospitals, attendants allegedly take money but are hardly found by the patient's bedside.

The parents of 14-year-old Shivangi Chatterjee, admitted to the Woodburn Block last Monday, are among the many visitors pleasantly surprised by the change. "We were asked whether we wanted a paying cabin with all facilities and we agreed to it. We are happy with the service," the girl's father, Bappaditya Chatterjee, said.

Doctors making their first visit to the facility since its renovation are also impressed. "I never expected such a facility," said Arunabha Sengupta, professor and head of the ENT department. "This will hopefully address some of the grievances against government health care."

Most of the rooms are occupied on all days, officials said.

SSKM HOSPITAL WING’S NEW LOOK