LPG shortage forces ‘hospital man’ to stop free food supply for patients’ kin in Kolkata

KOLKATA: In Bhowanipore area, Partha Karchowdhury, a pool car driver, is popular as ‘hospital man.'

He has gained the name for his act of kindness. He provides food to family members of the patients undergoing treatment at Chittaranjan National Cancer Hospital (CNCI) and Sambhunath Pandit Hospital. But the lack of LPG cylinders has affected his service.

The 55 year old, who stays at Mahamayatala Lane, has been unable to give meals to the patients' kin from Thursday. Karchowdhury had not given up his noble act even during the pandemic period. He recalled how he never stopped even for a day during those difficult times.

It has been a decade since he turned to this service toward humanity, soon after his recovery from a lung disease. During that time, he was treated at Sambhunath Pandit Hospital.

"I had seen how people who accompany patients put up at the hospital during the treatment period. They are not always able to manage good food for themselves," he said.

After dropping children to school early in the morning, he picks up meals for at least 60 people from his kitchen at New Alipore. He then distributes the meals outside the gates of both the hospitals. For dinner, he packs food for about 90 people. Of many people who had been benefitted by his service is Nishar Ali (26). He remembered how he was given meals two times a day when his mother Hasina Bibi (50) was undergoing treatment at CNCI for cancer.

"There was no hope for refiling of the cylinder soon," Partha said.