Hotel crisis in Kolkata forces Bangladeshi cancer patients to sleep on streets

Cancer patients from Bangladesh along with their family members are sleeping in the open air near Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital in Kolkata due to the lack of affordable hotels.

Some people are sleeping under plastic sheets or using blankets, whereas others are sleeping near their baggage and medicines. They are also suffering from rain, mosquitoes, no toilets, noise pollution and dust coming from construction work.

Most of the Bangladeshis who traveled to Kolkata for treatment are saying that most of the cheap hotels have closed down. The remaining hotels have high rates, which are around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 or even more.

One lady from Bangladesh is undergoing breast cancer treatment and is finding it difficult to survive in such conditions because of rain, mosquitoes and lack of sanitation during this disease. Other patients say that they have been coming to Kolkata for almost eight years now for treatment but have never experienced this type of problem before.

According to the patients, they had approached hotels mentioned by the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission. However, most of them did not respond, whereas some of them have no vacant rooms.

Following their awareness of the problem, representatives from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission went to the hospital to discuss the matter with hospital management. Over 100 Bangladeshis gathered in order to inform the authorities of their problems. They were provided with a list of hotels but some admitted that they were still unable to locate an accommodation place.

The trouble started following the deadly fire at the Shikha Inn hotel situated near Kolkata's New Market on August 18 where seven Bangladeshis and two Indians lost their lives.

Following the tragedy, notices were served to over 700 hotels, guest houses, and lodges for violation of rules and were barred from taking new clients.

Though the action was taken with security concerns, it has deeply impacted poor patients especially Bangladeshis looking for medical care in Kolkata.

-AJM