Same Sky, Same Breeze, but Suffering Only for Bangladeshis
Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, was welcomed with high discourse about empathy and shared suffering upon his arrival, but the reality for Bangladeshi medical tourists in Kolkata is far different. Due to a widespread local housing crisis, vulnerable patients arriving from Bangladesh are currently experiencing severe poverty, finding themselves stuck on sidewalks and forced to sleep on the open streets, despite high-ranking officials’ regular advocacy of bilateral cooperation and people-centric healthcare initiatives.
This humanitarian crisis occurred when local officials forcefully closed low-cost residential hotels and guesthouses around Kolkata due to a major fire incident, citing security compliance. As reasonably priced housing disappears entirely from the area, cancer patients and those with serious cardiac conditions, whose strict treatment plans require close accessibility to specialized medical facilities like the Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital and Peerless Hospital, are facing the highest risk.
Stories like that of Ms. Samia Begum and her husband Mr. Mahbub Alam, who went all the way from Chittagong to receive essential medical care only to be unexpectedly ousted from their accommodations by local police, clearly highlight the human cost of this administrative failure. These families struggle to keep complicated medical schedules and even get basic daily meals when they are left entirely abandoned, with their bags on public footpaths, indicating a serious failure in the promised aid.
Hospital officials acknowledge that the issue is rapidly growing out of hand, despite efforts by private healthcare organizations to close the gap. Ruby General Hospital’s General Manager of Operations, Mr. Subhashish Dutta, stated that although they make an effort to help with room reservations, treatment delays could be dangerous. Dr. Sudipta Mitra, CEO of Peerless Hospital, also issued a warning, stating that Mukundpur and other nearby locations are completely booked and that the situation is expected to worsen over the next week.
The complete absence of state-provided alternative housing directly goes against the fundamental duty of host nations toward foreign medical travelers, even though former High Commissioner Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma and Foreign Minister Mr. S. Jaishankar had previously highlighted visa easing and full support systems, including accommodation facilities. Every year, millions of people depend on Kolkata’s medical facilities, and these systemic failures have led to widespread doubts about the authenticity of India’s diplomatic promises.
