Flood: Torrential rainfall strains healthcare facility

Kolkata: Torrential overnight rain lashing the city put healthcare facilities under strain. Several medical colleges in the city went underwater, causing inconveniences to the patients, their relatives, and the Health professionals.

In all the top government medical colleges — SSKM, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta Medical College, waterlogging disrupted patient movement, forcing some to wade barefoot through knee-deep water to access treatment. Videos surfaced on social media showing flooded corridors inside the hospital, where patients and attendants were seen clutching walls for balance while navigating submerged passageways.

In the X-ray room of the Calcutta National Medical College, there was knee-deep water and the situation improved with the progress of the day. Several parts of the NRS Medical College also remained underwater. The employees of several medical colleges who were supposed to join duty in the morning faced difficulties in reaching their workplaces. The hospital authorities directed the health personnel who were on night duty to continue work till the other staff members joined the duty.

The entrances of the RG Kar Medical College remained underwater for some time in the morning. The hospital canteen, parking, and the low-lying areas were in submerged. Almost all the OPDs in the government medical colleges in Kolkata registered a steep drop in patient influx.

There was waterlogging in front of the laboratory of the Calcutta Medical College. Senior officials of all these medical colleges tried to ensure that patients were not inconvenienced.