Kolkata’s Health Department has begun linking six government medical colleges with selected private hospitals so patients who cannot find a bed in the public system can receive treatment without being charged. The arrangement is intended to reduce delays and uncertainty for patients who are referred elsewhere because of capacity constraints at government hospitals.
A meeting on the proposed system was held at Swasthya Bhavan, with medical superintendents-cum-vice-principals of the participating medical colleges, including RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata Medical College and National Medical College. Under the arrangement, National Medical College may refer patients to Manipal Hospital in Dhakuria, while Kolkata Medical College may send patients to Manipal Hospital in Salt Lake.
RG Kar Medical College has been linked with ILS Hospital in Salt Lake, and Sagar Dutta Medical College with Zenith Hospital in Belgharia. The process of linking NRS Medical College with Apollo Hospital is still under way, according to the report. The arrangement is expected to cover the relevant government hospitals in Kolkata before Mahalaya if the remaining preparations are completed as planned.
The system will operate through the Health Department’s control room. When a government hospital does not have an available bed, its management will contact the control room and send information about the patient’s illness, symptoms and required treatment. This information will be prepared as a case summary and shared with the nodal officer at the private hospital. The private hospital will then use the case details to arrange a bed for the patient.
The Health Department has told the participating private hospitals that patients referred through this arrangement will not be charged for treatment. The report said patients may use existing health coverage, including Ayushman Bharat, Swasthya Sathi or the Chief Minister’s health scheme, where applicable. It did not specify the number of beds that will be available, the treatment categories covered, or the maximum duration of the arrangement.
The initiative uses earlier provisions connected with free medical services at private hospitals, according to the report. Its immediate administrative purpose is to create a referral channel when government hospitals cannot accommodate patients. That makes the control room and the case-summary process central to how the system will work in practice: the public hospital must identify the shortage, transmit accurate clinical information and secure a response from the linked private facility.
The arrangement also places the responsibility for coordination across several institutions. Government medical colleges will identify patients requiring referral, the Health Department will coordinate the transfer of information, and private hospitals will provide the bed and treatment without charging the referred patient. The report did not provide details of transport arrangements, the process for handling patients whose condition changes during referral, or how treatment and bed availability will be monitored.
The next step is the inclusion of all the relevant government hospitals in the system. The Health Department’s stated target is to implement the arrangement before Mahalaya, subject to the completion of the remaining hospital linkages and operational preparations.
