Amma canteens will soon be opened at more government hospitals in the city.
Construction of new buildings to house the canteens is under way. The first canteen was set up at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) in November last year.
The new canteens will come up at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, Royapettah Government Hospital, Raja Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar (RSRM) Lying-in Hospital, Royapuram, Institute of Child Health (ICH) and Hospital for Children, Egmore, and Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, Triplicane. Most of the buildings are in the final stages of completion.
At Stanley Hospital, the building is coming up near the surgical block, while at KMC, it is near the trauma ward.
It is being constructed behind the labour ward at RSRM Hospital. At Royapettah Hospital, authorities said the canteen is being built on a large area of 3,000 sq. ft. in the old block of the hospital.
Most of the government hospitals do not have full-fledged canteens on their premises. A few have Aavin booths where hot milk and other beverages are sold.
Doctors said the canteens would benefit patients’ attendants and visitors. “Most of them consume food right outside the wards. If a canteen comes up, the number of people consuming food near the wards will come down. This will help in better maintenance of the hospitals,” said a hospital authority.
A senior doctor at GH said the number of persons taking their meals in the corridors reduced by half after the canteen was set up.
“Breakfast and lunch are provided in the canteen at specific timings. It will be useful if these hours are extended, and if food is provided in the evenings too. Now, people bring food from outside for dinner and consume it in the corridors,” he said.
