In a major project taken up by the State Housing Department, people accompanying patients admitted to State Government-run hospitals will now get a place to spend the night.

Night shelters are coming up at 15 hospitals across the State. Among them are RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, TL Jaiswal Hospital in Howrah, Uluberia Sub-divisional Hospital, Suri District Hospital, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, College of Medicine and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital in Kalyani, Asansol District Hospital, Jhargram District Hospital, Barasat District Hospital, Tamluk District Hospital, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Malda Medical College and Hospital, and Jalpaiguri District Hospital.

The Housing Department has completed construction of night shelters at NRS Medical College and Hospital, Diamond Harbour Hospital and Baruipur sub-divisional Hospital. The shelters will be four-storeyed structures, with two separate blocks for men and women. There will be accommodation facilities for around 100 people in the night shelters at the district hospitals, and for 50 persons at the sub-divisional hospitals. The work for construction of the night shelters will start in the next two to three months, according to a senior official of the Department, and the average cost of constructing and providing necessary furniture in each would be Rs 3.5 crore.