SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad, designed as a flagship project to transform the city’s public healthcare system, is facing serious challenges in terms of bed occupancy. Despite a lavish Rs 800 crore investment and an annual maintenance cost of Rs 200 crore, only 350 of its 1,500 beds are occupied daily. Of these, 330 are general beds, with an alarmingly low 20 of its 200 executive beds in use. These figures, revealed by the Medical Education Trust (MET), paint a picture of underutilisation that is difficult to ignore.
A significant contrast emerges when compared to other city-run hospitals. LG Hospital, for instance, operates at near full capacity with 700 out of its 1,050 beds occupied daily, while Shardaben Hospital sees 300 of its 620 beds in use. Even Nagari Hospital, known for its eye treatment, reports a 50% occupancy rate. The stark underperformance of SVP Hospital has raised several questions, with experts pointing to a series of missteps that have led to the hospital’s failure to attract patients.
Key issues contributing to this are high upfront costs, such as a mandatory Rs 10,000 deposit for admitted patients, which has alienated many prospective visitors. Moreover, the initial exclusion of state health schemes like Ma Amrutam and PM-JAY further compounded the problem, leaving the hospital largely inaccessible to low and middle-income groups. Even with the implementation of government schemes and discounts on laboratory tests, SVP Hospital has failed to make any meaningful impact. This situation has worsened due to the preference of patients for neighbouring hospitals, such as LG and Shardaben, which are seen as more reliable and affordable options.
From a sustainability perspective, SVP Hospital’s underutilisation highlights a larger issue within the public healthcare system. Despite significant investments, the facility’s failure to attract patients suggests a deeper need for more inclusive and transparent management practices. A hospital that was intended to provide state-of-the-art medical care to the city’s most vulnerable populations must address its operational inefficiencies and ensure that its services are accessible to those who need them most. As cities like Ahmedabad continue to grow, the effectiveness of public healthcare institutions in meeting the needs of their citizens will be crucial to shaping a sustainable urban future.
