Roadside eateries shut near hosps; attendants hit hard

Lucknow: Restrictions on commercial LPG supply have begun to hit patient attendants at major hospitals in the city, as roadside eateries and small kitchens around the campuses have shut down due to lack of cooking gas.At KGMU, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Civil Hospital, and Balrampur Hospital, attendants said the closure of food stalls made it difficult to find affordable meals near the hospitals. A large number of people accompanying patients travel from nearby districts like as Sitapur, Barabanki, Hardoi and Unnao and spend long hours outside wards. Many of them depend on small tea stalls and eateries around the hospitals for regular meals. With several vendors unable to operate, attendants said arranging food had turned into a daily struggle. While some walked longer distances to locate shops still cooking on wood or coal, others managed with biscuits and packaged snacks. Ramesh Yadav from Sitapur, waiting outside KGMU where his brother is admitted, said the situation has disrupted daily routines. "Earlier, we could easily get tea and meals outside the hospital. Now most stalls are closed, and we have to walk far to find something to eat," he said. At RMLIMS, Saira Begum from Barabanki said attendants had to rely on packaged food. "We are here for my father's treatment. Since many stalls are shut, we are managing with biscuits and snacks," she said. Outside Civil Hospital, Ram Vilas from Hardoi said nearby dhabas stopped cooking due to a lack of gas cylinders. Vendors said the shutdown was not voluntary. Rajkumar Verma, who runs a stall near a hospital campus, said refilling LPG cylinders became difficult, forcing small kitchens to suspend operations. Attendants said the situation added to the stress of families already dealing with medical emergencies.