Kolkata, October 24, 2026: In a significant policy shift aimed at overhauling emergency healthcare delivery, the West Bengal government has announced that it will scrap the decades-old practice of extended Durga Puja holidays for staff at state-run hospitals starting from 2027. State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay stated that a structured duty roster will be enforced across all medical colleges and state healthcare institutions to ensure round-the-clock patient care throughout the festive period.
Addressing reporters on Friday following an administrative review meeting at Swasthya Bhawan, Mukhopadhyay pointed out that an unwritten convention had persisted since Independence, under which staff availed leave beginning on Sasthi (the sixth day of Durga Puja) and continuing until Lakshmi Puja.
Terming the health department an essential, life-saving service, Mukhopadhyay emphasized that the sector cannot function on holiday schedules applied to general administrative departments:
“This practice will end from next year. The health department is not like other departments. It is an emergency department. People have to be provided services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Government employees are employees of the people… We do not have any festivals. We have to work round the clock,”
the minister asserted.Duty Rosters from Saptami to Dashami; Doctors on CallUnder the new operational framework to be implemented from the 2027 festive season:Staff Rosters (Saptami to Dashami): Hospital support personnel, administrative staff, and technical technicians will be placed on mandatory rotational duty rosters covering the peak festive days from Maha Saptami through Vijaya Dashami.On-Call Availability for Medical Staff: While doctors and nursing personnel will not be tied to an inflexible non-medical roster, they will be required to maintain mandatory on-call availability and report to clinical stations whenever patient inflow demands.
Immediate Cancellation of Unauthorized Leaves: Mukhopadhyay directed that all medical and administrative personnel currently on festive leave report back to work immediately.Crackdown Follows Reports of Absenteeism Amid Festive CrisisThe government’s intervention comes on the heels of inspections revealing widespread absenteeism among senior physicians and hospital administrators during this year’s Durga Puja, with several officials reportedly taking unauthorized leave.
The attendance lapses drew sharp scrutiny following public health emergencies earlier in the week, including the crowd surge and stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata that resulted in 19 fatalities and dozens of critical injuries. Inquiries revealed that several state-run facilities experienced severe operational bottlenecks due to the absence of key medical personnel.
Expressing stern displeasure during his meeting with senior Directorate of Health Services officials, Mukhopadhyay termed the absenteeism “shameful” and issued directives to initiate departmental scrutiny against staff who abandoned clinical duties without prior sanctioned approval.
The move marks one of the most decisive administrative steps by the state government to enforce clinical accountability in Bengal’s public healthcare infrastructure during major cultural holidays.
