August 4: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to employ contractors to supply food at its new hospital in Sidharth Nagar, slated for inauguration on August 16.

While this marks a departure from the practice of running hospital kitchens (often accused of serving food unfit for human consumption), it will be some time before a similar arrangement could be made in other civic hospitals too.

For one, the fear of labour trouble prevents hospital from closing down their kitchens. Senior health department officials said the hospitals could begin with freezing recruitment of employees in kitchens.

Officials said supplying food through contractors not only helps in cutting costs, but also makes it possible to apply stricter quality control measures.

They pointed out that maintaining a kitchen is an expensive affair. The staff salaries along with other benefits add up to a big amount. ``Instead, the same money can be spent on getting better quality food for the patients,'' said an official. Sources said over 70 per cent of the total amount allotted for medicines and food is spent on running kitchens, with the result that hospitals almost always are short of medicines.

However, tea and coffee will be continued to be prepared in the hospital kitchen at Sidharth Nagar.

Officials said hospitals will invite tenders and the contract for the thalis will be awarded to the lowest bidder. The contract will be awarded for a period of one year.

Dr Sheela Kailas Pershad, director of Peripheral Hospitals said the scheme was earlier tried in three other hospitals - Centenary Hospital at Govandi and Kandivali and Krantiveer Hospital at Kannamwar Nagar in Ghatkopar - with success.

However, she denied there is any proposal to extend the scheme to other civic hospitals. But other officials of the department said that it is being discussed.

They pointed out that there are practical difficulties in this and added that it will have to be done in a phased manner and will take a long time.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.