Emergency units cry for toilets at govt hosps in Kol
Times of India | 24 March 2026
Kolkata: The cardiac patient's death at RG Kar Hospital has cast a harsh spotlight on a glaring gap in the city's public healthcare system — the absence of accessible toilets in emergency wards. Forced to walk nearly 40 metres and climb a flight of stairs to reach a pay-and-use facility, the patient collapsed at RG Kar on Monday, exposing what a TOI ground survey found to be a widespread problem across govt hospitals in Kolkata.
TOI found most emergency departments in state-run hospitals lack functional toilets, compelling patients — many of them critically ill — to step out of wards and head to pay-and-use toilets. "My brother has chest pain and can barely walk, yet we had to carry him on our shoulders and take him outside to a paid toilet. There should be toilets on the same floor with attendants. Here, there is none," said Somnath Bhandari, who brought his brother Bappa from Birbhum to SSKM Hospital.
SSKM handles a staggering 8,000 to 12,000 patients daily but has only six pay-and-use toilets. While newer OPD blocks are equipped with toilets, most older buildings either lack operational facilities or have them locked.
For many patients, the ordeal is not just about access, but the physical strain it entails. "I have a renal disorder. Walking to the toilet is still manageable, but climbing stairs is extremely difficult," said a patient waiting at the hospital.
The crisis is equally stark at Medical College and Hospital, where 6,000 to 8,000 patients depend on just four pay-and-use toilets. For those in the emergency ward, even the idea of being assisted to a toilet is far-fetched. "We are completely on our own. When getting a bed itself is uncertain, how can we expect help to reach a toilet?" said Debendra Haldar, who accompanied a stroke patient.
At NRS, only two pay-and-use toilets are available — underscoring the scale of the infrastructure shortfall. Though the hospital has a toilet within emergency and OPD sections, access remains restricted. As a result, patients and their relatives — often waiting for hours in corridors and open areas — are left with no option but to rely on distant paid facilities.