Private hospitals across Kolkata are grappling with a severe bed shortage as a significant increase in patients suffering from pneumonia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) pushes occupancy rates to critical levels. This surge, occurring at the onset of winter, has forced medical facilities to expand capacity and turn away patients, signaling a potential healthcare crisis in the city.
Hospitals Stretched to Capacity
The situation is particularly acute in several leading private hospitals. At CMRI Hospital, the respiratory ICU is completely full with 35 admitted patients, and a queue is forming for beds. The hospital's pulmonology head, Dr. Raja Dhar, revealed that they have approximately 65 lung disease patients admitted, with pneumonia being the most common condition, followed closely by COPD and flare-ups of asthma and bronchitis. Dr. Dhar expressed concern, stating that this worrying trend is emerging just as winter begins, with patient numbers likely to spiral upwards.
Peerless Hospital is operating at 85% occupancy, driven by two to three new pneumonia cases daily. Dr. Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri, the chief microbiologist, identified the primary culprits as bacterial pneumonia caused by pathogens like Klebsiella, Haemophilus, and Streptococcus, leading to moderate to severe infections. The hospital's CEO, Sudipta Mitra, added that the rise in elective surgeries, common during this season, combined with the spike in respiratory illnesses, has created a perfect storm. He warned that the situation will persist due to ongoing temperature fluctuations.
City-Wide Impact and Patient Symptoms
The crisis is widespread. Charnock Hospital has 35 patients admitted with pneumonia and COPD, including 10 in the ICU, bringing the facility to near-full capacity with 170 occupied beds. Dr. Soumya Sengupta, in charge of pulmonology, linked the surge directly to the recent dip in temperature. Patients are presenting with persistent high fever, dry cough, and in some cases, chest pain. Most cases are bacterial pneumonia, with those having comorbidities like diabetes and heart disease requiring admission.
Ruby General Hospital is facing such a severe scarcity that it is having to refuse patients. Subhashish Datta, the general manager of operations, confirmed that the bed shortage has been directly triggered by the influx of respiratory patients. Similarly, BP Poddar Hospital reports a noticeable rise in COPD cases over the past week, with consultant pulmonologist Dr. Abhishek Kolay seeing nearly 10 such patients daily with symptoms like breathlessness, persistent cough, and wheezing. Almost 30% of their patients now have COPD or related conditions, with 23 severe cases occupying their ITU and HDU beds, according to group advisor Supriyo Chakrabarty.
A Looming Winter Health Challenge
The collective data from Kolkata's hospitals paints a clear picture of a mounting public health challenge. The convergence of seasonal factors—cooler weather, temperature fluctuations, and the preference for year-end elective surgeries—has strained the healthcare infrastructure. The high prevalence of bacterial pneumonia and severe COPD exacerbations indicates a need for heightened public awareness and precautionary measures. With the peak winter season still ahead, medical authorities are bracing for a further increase in cases, urging vulnerable populations, especially those with existing health conditions, to take extra care to avoid respiratory infections.
