Kol hosps set to expand capacity with 1.3k beds

Kolkata: A majestic 200-year-old grand structure at Rabindra Sarani that was converted into a 250-bed multispecialty hospital was inaugurated in Kolkata on Thursday. Christened Charnock Lohia Hospital, it is a unique blend of heritage and healthcare that will offer advanced treatment across multiple specialities. Charnock Lohia is among several private facilities that are extending their services with new units.Around 1,300 new beds are set to be added across multiple private hospitals in 2026. Those getting ready to augment capacity next year include Ruby General Hospital, Disha Hospital, Woodlands Multispecialty Hospital, Indian Institute of Liver & Digestive Sciences, Belle Vue, and BP Poddar Hospital.
The building at 296/B Rabindra Sarani, which was a maternity home and lay defunct for several years, is an architectural splendour. It is a Grade-I heritage property with a rich history, and it served as the palace residence of various Bengali aristocratic families during the pre-Independence period. Charnock Hospital restored, renovated, and transformed this heritage building into a 250-bed NABH-compliant, state-of-the-art ‘Heritage Super Speciality Hospital' with 80 ICU beds, modular OTs, a cath lab, and advanced imaging. "With a clear focus on high-end tertiary care treatments, this hospital will serve the entire population of north Kolkata and adjoining areas. We hope to serve 10,000 inpatients a year. The total new investment is Rs 250 crore," said Charnock MD Prasahant Sharma.The hospital will include neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, urology, nephrology, and critical care, among other departments. It was inaugurated by mayor Firhad Hakim, women and child welfare minister Shashi Panja, and health and family welfare minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, along with a host of other dignitaries.Woodlands Multispecialty Hospital will introduce a multispeciality unit with 200 beds on the existing premises. It plans to start partial operations in 2026. It will include a cancer facility with dedicated beds and advanced radiotherapy, a transplant unit including a liver transplant facility, neurology, cardiology, neuro-interventional procedures, and increased outpatient clinical areas. "This will take our capacity to 365 beds by the end of 2026," said Woodlands CEO Rupak Barua.Disha Hospitals will inaugurate a multispeciality hospital in New Town in mid-2026 with 250 beds. The hospital will eventually have 650 beds. "There will be emphasis on oncology. We will offer treatment at a reasonable cost and accept Swasthya Sathi cards," said Debasish Bhattacharya, chairman of Disha.Ruby General Hospital will have 77 new critical-care beds and 65 more oncology beds by Feb. BP Poddar Hospital is set to offer holistic oncology services with 24x7 lab sciences at a dedicated 150-bed unit. A newly enhanced 35-bed Mother & Child Care Unit will offer holistic maternity and neonatal services. A designated 25-bed dialysis unit is also planned. Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences will open a paediatric gastroenterology department. "The burden of gastrointestinal diseases in children is huge, while there is a dearth of super speciality facilities. We will have both OPD and in-patient facilities from March 1," said hepatologist Abhijit Chowdhury, chief mentor to Liver Foundation West Bengal. Belle Vue Hospital CEO P Tondon said the hospital will flag off a 160-bed hospital in New Town in 2026. Ambuja Neotia announced a 262-bed multispecialty hospital to be flagged off in 2029.