Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 23: After years of waiting and non utilization of funds meant for patient diets, the Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag has formally started providing free meals to patients at the MMABM Hospital, fulfilling a long pending demand of the public.
Officials told ‘Excelsior’ that the service had been introduced earlier in January; however, after ensuring all requisite facilities, it has now been formally inaugurated.
“The process of setting up the facility has been going on for a while, and in January we began providing meals. As of now, the required space has been arranged, and the funds allocated for diet are finally being utilized,” officials said.
They added that in the initial months, the hospital authorities would have meals cooked elsewhere and delivered to the admitted patients.
Over time, the necessary infrastructure was put in place, enabling the facility to function in a more streamlined manner.
For years, in the absence of a patient diet facility, the funds, in lakhs, allocated for this purpose would lapse without being used.
“These funds are meant for diet only and if not utilized, these lapse. This has been going on since the hospital did have the facility to provide diet to patients,” they added.
It is worth noting that attendants, in the absence of such a facility, were earlier forced to bring food from home or purchase it from eateries outside the hospital.
For attendants from far off places, this often proved difficult, leaving them with no choice but to buy meals from outside vendors-many of which raised hygiene concerns.
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