The number of Bangladeshi patients and their relatives coming to Calcutta’s hospitals has gone down significantly again over the past few weeks because of visa issues and many expressed concerns that the count could drop further.

Several airlines have reduced the number of flights between Dhaka and Calcutta because of a lack of passengers.

Many patients coming for treatment now said their visas were issued several months ago, before the turmoil in Bangladesh in August that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.

The patients said India was denying visas to those who needed to accompany the patients.

Hospitals in Calcutta said only cancer patients and those in need of emergency surgeries and procedures are being issued a medical visa.

At RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, around 300 patients from Bangladesh used to turn up at the OPD clinics daily. Close to 170 patients from across the border would be admitted to the Mukundapur hospital every month.

“The number went down to almost zero in August but climbed up again in the last week of September. But now, the numbers have gone down by a third,” said R Venkatesh, group COO, Narayana Health, which runs RN Tagore hospital.

He said barely 100 patients from Bangladesh are now coming daily to the OPD and the monthly admission count has gone down to 60.

“We apprehend the numbers would fall further in the coming weeks because of visa issues,” said Venkatesh.

At Peerless Hospital, too, the numbers have gone down significantly.

Around 150 Bangladeshis would turn up for OPD consultations daily on average. That number has gone down to 50. Barely two to three patients from Bangladesh are being admitted daily, down from 10 to 12.

“Due to visa problems, many patients from Bangladesh are cancelling appointments. We fear the numbers will go down further. The Bangladeshis who are coming now were issued visas several months back,” said Sudipta Mitra, the chief executive of Peerless Hospital.

Abdul Malik, 56, a resident of Dhaka, has come to RN Tagore hospital with wife Yasmin Akhtar.

“We have come on a tourist visa which was issued five months back. But our son and daughter, who too need to consult doctors, could not come because they have been denied visas,” said Akhtar.

Abdul Baset, 42, from Chittagong, came last week for treatment at the Mukundapur hospital. However, his friend Musharraf Hussain, who suffers from cardiac issues and comes every year for check-up, could not accompany him this time.

“His application for a medical visa was rejected,” said Baset, who had come with a tourist visa issued several months back.

Hospitals said many Bangadeshis who come for treatment travel on tourist visas. If they need admission, the visa is converted into a medical one.

Khurshid Alam, from Rajshahi, has come to Peerless Hospital for treatment with a visa issued earlier.

“Usually five of us come to Calcutta for medical check-ups every year. This time, the other four friends did not get visas. So I had to come alone,” said Alam.

Bangladeshi airlines have reduced the number of flights on the Calcutta route because of a lack of passengers.

US Bangla Airlines would operate two flights daily between Calcutta and Dhaka with the 180-seat Boeing 737 aircraft. Recently, the airline reduced its frequency to one flight and replaced Boeing 737 with a smaller aircraft.

“We are operating an ATR-72 with 72 seats because there is no demand,” said a US Bangla official.

Biman Bangladesh, too, has cut down its daily flights between Dhaka and Calcutta from two to one, said an official.