The hospital authorities, however, seemed to have been caught unaware and claimed that the ‘kitchen’ will serve only patients, attendants and hospital staffers
Having failed to get the approval of the Lieutenant Governor for their ambitious Aam Aadmi Canteen project, the Delhi government on Thursday named a hospital’s in-house kitchen a part of their initiative. The hospital authorities, however, seemed to have been caught unaware and claimed that the ‘kitchen’ will serve only patients, attendants and hospital staffers.
“The kitchen will cater only to the hospital staffers and patients. The hospital will keep a vigil and ensure that unnecessary outsiders don’t flock the canteen as it will hinder the medical services,” a senior administrative official of the Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) said.
Earlier, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had tweeted: “Aam Aadmi Canteen pilot project started at the LNH hospital. Rs 10 per meal for all attendants, staffers and people visiting the hospital.”
The hospital authorities, however, emphasised that the kitchen services were specifically for the hospital’s needs. “The kitchen will offer food not only to LNH, but also to GB Pant Hospital, Guru Nanak eye center, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Maulana Azad Institute of Dental sciences,” a hospital official said.
The state-of-the-art kitchen was inaugurated on January 7. The first automated hospital kitchen is equipped with modern technologies, including vegetable peelers and cutters, roti maker and rice cooker. It will serve food items such as idli-sambhar, kheer and kebabs.
“The canteen would be run on a trial basis for a month, during which we will serve only lunch. After a month, we will try to include dinner and breakfast. Trial does not mean that we will shut down after one month. It means we will only take it further up,” Jain said after inaugurating the canteen.
The automated kitchen has been designed by the Delhi Institute of Hotel Management (DIHM). The institute has also trained the hospital’s dieticians and kitchen staffers. The project was assigned by Former Delhi Health Secretary SCL Das.
In July 2015, the Delhi Dialogue Commission had come up with the ambitious Aam Aadmi Canteen for the city’s poor. The canteen was to serve safe, nutritious, and delicious food for just Rs 5-10. The plan was approved by the Delhi government. The canteen was to cater to rickshaw-pullers, daily-wage labourers, construction workers, and others employed in high labour-intensive work.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Hospital")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}