Kolkata Private Hospitals Introduce Ambulance Services to Improve Emergency Response
Kolkata: In a significant development, several private hospitals in Kolkata have announced the introduction of dedicated ambulance services. This new initiative aims to improve emergency medical response and ensure prompt transportation for patients in need of urgent care.
Several private hospitals had to transport emergency patients who were either stranded or unable to find transport on Wednesday. Ambulances carried numerous critical patients and those scheduled for surgery. Despite these efforts, hundreds of patients had to postpone their admissions, and non-emergency surgeries scheduled for the day were cancelled.
Attendance at outpatient departments (OPDs) also fell by 20% to 35% across private hospitals in Kolkata.
Ayanabh DebGupta, regional COO of Manipal Hospitals, reported a 5%-6% dip in OPD attendance across its four units. He explained that the drop occurred because patients from outside the city were unable to make it to the hospital.
At BP Poddar Hospital, OPD footfall fell by 20%, even though the hospital arranged pick-up and drop-off services for patients within a 7-km radius. According to the Times of India, Supriyo Chakrabarty said, “Although we provided transportation for nearby patients, we also offered online video consultations for those from farther away.” He added, “This was necessary due to the high patient load we’ve been experiencing. Despite the slight decrease in footfall on Wednesday, the online consultations enabled us to reach nearly 92% of our usual OPD patient count.”
Chakrabarty further noted, “Some of our patients from the outskirts or other districts who had booked OPD appointments were unable to come. We saw a 35% drop in OPD footfall compared to our daily average. To address such challenges, we had arranged online video consultations for most patients.”
Desun Hospital experienced a significant drop in OPD attendance. Director Shaoli Dutta noted that ambulances were arranged for emergency admissions of critical patients and that some cardiac patients had postponed their appointments by a day or two. Meanwhile, Charnock Hospital reported a 15%-20% decrease in OPD footfall.
The introduction of ambulance services by private hospitals represents a significant advancement in strengthening Kolkata’s healthcare infrastructure. As these new services become operational, they are anticipated to set a benchmark for other healthcare institutions, contributing to a more robust and responsive healthcare system in the city.
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