Food-safety concerns have emerged in the kitchens of several government hospitals in Kolkata, with a report documenting open spice containers, unhygienic drainage, inadequate protective clothing and construction dust near food-preparation areas serving patients.
The findings, reported by Anandabazar, relate to kitchens at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, and Calcutta National Medical College. The kitchens prepare meals for hospital patients, including about 2,000 people a day at RG Kar, according to the report.
At RG Kar, the report observed cooks bathing at a tap inside the kitchen, with clothes hanging nearby to dry. Open packets of powdered spices were reportedly kept on rusty, grease-covered racks. Food-distribution trolleys used across hospital wards were also entering the kitchen, while construction work in an adjoining passage was generating cement and sand dust.
The observations come as the West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation have intensified inspections of hotels, restaurants and other food businesses. The municipal corporation has reportedly taken action against 40 food outlets in the city, including 35 for hygiene and cleanliness violations. Some establishments were shut, while others were given 15 days to rectify shortcomings.
The report found similar concerns at NRS Medical College and Hospital. The kitchen had seven gas stoves for preparing rice, lentils, vegetables, fish, meat and tea. An apparently open drain beside the stoves was covered with accumulated waste, while grease and dirt were visible on the floor. Open turmeric powder was also observed, and a worker preparing dough for rotis was reportedly not wearing a cap or shirt at the time of the visit.
Kitchen manager Prosenjit Ghosh said the drain would be cleaned and claimed that municipal and health department officials had inspected the facility. The report said the health department’s inspection report did not mention that visit. The manager also said a net protected the drain and denied the presence of rats or cockroaches.
The kitchen at Calcutta National Medical College appeared comparatively cleaner, according to the report. Its manager, Golam Barik, said officials from Borough 7 had collected samples of cooking materials about two weeks earlier, although the results had not yet been received.
The scrutiny is significant because the budget allocation for food for government hospital patients has reportedly increased from Rs 56.40 per person since 2017 to Rs 110 under the latest budget. Health Minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay has also visited hospitals to assess whether patients are receiving meals according to the allocation and has expressed dissatisfaction at some locations.
Public health expert Kajalkrishna Banik said hygiene was necessary across food processing, preparation and distribution. He said ingredients must be stored properly, utensils disinfected and food servers maintain personal cleanliness. In hospitals, he added, unsafe food preparation could further harm already ill patients.
RG Kar’s MSVP Saptarshi Chattopadhyay said the hospital was giving importance to kitchen cleanliness and following instructions issued by the health department, but changing established practices would take time. The report did not specify a deadline for correcting the conditions observed at the hospital kitchens.
