Four Surgeries Now Allowed in Private Hospitals Under Bengal’s ‘Swasthya Sathi’ Scheme

Pradip Chatterjee | MP | February 13, 2026 | Kolkata: People in Bengal will now be able to undergo four surgeries — hernia operation, hydrocelectomy, fissurectomy, and arthroscopic surgeries — in private hospitals under the state government’s flagship health scheme, Swasthya Sathi.

The Health Department has issued a circular allowing private hospitals to carry out these surgeries under the scheme. According to sources, the decision was taken after it was found that patients requiring these procedures were being kept in queues at government hospitals.

The state government had earlier stopped these surgeries in private hospitals under Swasthya Sathi, as government hospitals had adequate facilities for them.

If doctors in government hospitals find that a patient may face delays for urgent surgeries, they can recommend that the patient undergo the operation in a private hospital. This recommendation must be mentioned on the prescription. In the case of accidents requiring arthroscopic surgeries, patients are entitled to undergo them in private hospitals under the scheme.

It was noted that in some cases, patients were not getting dates from government hospitals due to an excessive patient load.

Earlier in 2022, the state health department had issued directives that no private hospitals would be allowed to conduct hernia operations or hydrocelectomy under Swasthya Sathi. Patients were required to avail treatment in government hospitals to ensure these facilities were utilised.

The Health Department had also directed private hospitals to upload treatment packages and discharge summaries for Swasthya Sathi patients immediately after admission and discharge, following the detection of irregularities in packages and bills submitted by some hospitals.