West Bengal to Set Up Critical Care Blocks at 9 Govt Medical College Hospitals

Kolkata: In a move to boost the state’s healthcare infrastructure, nine state-run medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal will soon be equipped with dedicated, state-of-the-art Critical Care Blocks (CCBs), aimed at improving treatment for patients with severe and life-threatening conditions. 

As per the news reports, the nine institutions selected for the CCBs include Cooch Behar Medical College Hospital, Jalpaiguri Medical College Hospital (JMCH), Alipurduar Hospital, Jhargram Medical College Hospital, Rampurhat Medical College Hospital, Tamluk Medical College Hospital (TMCH), Midnapore Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Deben Mahato Medical College Hospital in Purulia and Diamond Harbour Medical College Hospital.

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Most of the CCBs will be housed in four-story buildings, with the exception of those at MMCH and JMCH, which will feature six-story structures accommodating 100 beds each. The remaining seven hospitals will each have 50-bed facilities.

The CCBs will be equipped with comprehensive life-support systems including ventilators, dialysis units, MRI machines, modular operation theatres (OTs), high-dependency units (HDUs), surgical facilities for trauma and brain injuries, maternity wards, and separate isolation rooms for male and female patients.

These CCBs are being constructed with joint funding from the central and state governments in a 60:40 ratio. The estimated cost for constructing a 50-bed Critical Care Block (CCB) is around ₹18 crore, while a 100-bed facility is projected to cost approximately ₹35 crore.

During the COVID-19 crisis, West Bengal, like many other states, struggled with a severe shortage of critical care beds, prompting widespread concern among both patients and medical professionals.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the availability of beds in government hospitals is abysmally low in India, and an epidemic like coronavirus can very quickly complicate the problem even further, according to a report.

Also Read: 0.55 govt beds per 1,000 population: Report flags low govt hospital bed availability in India

Speaking to the Statesman, an official of the health department said, “We will have an adequate number of critical care beds once the CCBs come up in these hospitals. The CCBs are essential for patients who need separate isolation wards. Each CCB will have a minimum of 10 to 20 beds, considering its total number of beds.”

The demand for dedicated Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) has continued to grow in the aftermath of the pandemic, highlighting the need for strengthened emergency and intensive care infrastructure across healthcare facilities.

According to the Statesman, the official added that Health officials in different districts and Kolkata have expressed concern over the increasing number of patients with severe respiratory distress or kidney ailments desperately searching for beds in critical care units (CCU). They wait for weeks to get a CCU berth even in a teaching hospital. The CCBs will reduce the number of such critical cases waiting for a CCU bed.