Asansol: The male general ward of the Asansol District Hospital increasingly resembles an old age home, as several elderly patients—admitted by their families for treatment—have been abandoned for months, with no one returning to take them back. Hospital authorities and nurses are struggling to manage the growing number of such patients, many of whom provide false addresses and contact details during admission.
A senior nurse, visibly emotional, shared the distressing pattern. “When someone comes and calls a name, we ask in hope: ‘Have you come to take them home?’ But it’s rare. Most have simply been left here.”
One such case is that of 75-year-old Sutapa Pal, a former ISCO factory worker, admitted in January. Despite repeated reassurances to herself that a family member would return, no one has visited her since. Similarly, Pranab Ghosh, a 50-year-old former Chittaranjan Locomotive Works employee, has remained bedridden and alone, hoping in vain for his nephew’s return.
Another patient, Bikas Sutradhar, tearfully pleaded for someone to take him home. His family, who once lived in Barabani, has not returned since admitting him.
Hospital sources indicate there are many more such cases. Some patients like Geeta Debi, Bindu Bauri, and an unidentified woman with both legs amputated have remained in the wards long after recovery. Staff also cited patients admitted under false pretenses by people pretending to be relatives.
The hospital’s nursing staff have taken it upon themselves to bathe, clothe, and care for these elderly patients who lack the strength to move or the resources to hire attendants. “We can’t turn our backs on them,” said senior nurse Tapasi Pramanik.
However, hospital superintendent Dr. Nikhil Chandra Das expressed concern about the burden this places on hospital operations. “They are occupying beds needed for other critical patients. We cannot evict them nor transfer them to government homes due to legal and procedural complications. In some cases, patients have wandered off, forcing us to involve the police.”
He added that the hospital is caught in a difficult situation—unable to deny care, yet increasingly constrained by limited space and resources.
