Gas crisis expands; govt hospital canteens in survival mode

Chandigarh: The LPG cylinder crisis is inching closer to some of the most vulnerable in govt hospitals of the city, which receive thousands of patients every day. Many come from families with limited means, making in-house canteen services especially important. With the LPG cylinder shortage affecting canteens, patients' caregivers find themselves staring at a major challenge — procuring affordable and safe food.

Langar vans take a hit

The crisis has forced several facilities to slash their menus and, in some cases, temporarily shut down operations. Mobile langar vans, which regularly cater to people in hospitals, could be a game changer. However, many of the vans were absent on Friday, hit by the LPG cylinder crunch. A few organisations managed to cook using firewood at PGI but no service vehicles were spotted outside GMCH-32 or GMSH-16.


Using limited options

At PGI, the canteen was forced to halt cooking for two hours after running out of fuel. Two cylinders arrived on Friday. Popular snacks like chole bhature and dosa were taken off the menu. Canteen operator Gurnam Singh said they have requested a formal letter from the institute to their supplier to prioritise and stabilise regular supply.

At GMCH-32, which requires five cylinders every day, the canteen slipped into survival mode, suspending dishes requiring longer cook times and use of tava.

For now, canteens are offering limited dishes using induction cooktops, traditional tandoors, and firewood. "For the last three to four days, LPG gas has been out of stock on the campus. A total of 200 people come to us every day, but we are unable to serve fast food now. Also, we are using induction," said G G Kumar, contractor for PGI's doctors' canteen.

Patients prioritised

Dedicated mess facilities that provide meals directly to admitted patients are currently stable. At GMCH-32, the mess operator secured back-up stock of cylinders, ensuring that the daily diet for some 800 patients remains unchanged.

PGI mess services are also operating on a normal schedule for the time being. "PGI is not facing any issue. The agency assured that hospital gas supplies would not be interrupted, as directed by IOC. Around 2,000 patients are being catered to per day, 6,000 meals per day — 3 meals per patient," said Dr Nancy Sahni, chief dietician, PGI.

UT director, health services, Dr Suman Singh, confirmed LPG shortage at GMSH-16 but assured that alternative arrangements were being made. "We are shifting to electric cooking and induction wherever possible to ensure that patients' food supply is not interrupted," she said.

Meanwhile, the Association of Resident Doctors' of PGI wrote to gas agencies to demand that hospital canteens be treated as priority zones. Canteen operators also formally notified hospital administrations, warning that if the crisis persists, services may collapse entirely.

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