Key Update

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has invited bids to supply cooked vegetarian meals to patients in 10 peripheral hospitals. Once implemented, the plan will provide daily meals to nearly 1,600 patients, covering breakfast, tea, and both morning and evening meals. The civic body included special diets in the tender for patients with diabetes, hypertension, and salt-restricted needs, along with RT feed diets for those requiring medical nutrition.

Experts Question Nominal Fine for Unsafe Food

Experts criticised the tender’s penalty clause, which imposes only a ₹1,000 fine for serving substandard or unsafe food. They warned that such a low penalty fails to ensure accountability and weakens food safety measures in hospitals. Food safety specialists stated that the lenient clause undermines the goal of providing hygienic and nutritious meals to patients, particularly in public healthcare facilities.

BMC Sets Eligibility and Licensing Criteria

The BMC has set strict eligibility criteria for bidders. Contractors must have at least three years of experience in providing cooked food to a minimum of 700 patients in government hospitals and must show an annual turnover above ₹11 crore over the past three years. All bidders must hold valid FSSAI licenses and comply with the hygiene standards outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The civic body reserved 50% of the tender for registered ‘mahila sansthas’ (women’s organisations) that can match the lowest bid and meet all technical and legal requirements. The move aims to encourage women-led participation in civic food contracts.

The BMC authorised hospitals to procure meals from nearby caterers if a contractor fails to deliver. The civic body will recover 15% supervision charges from the defaulter’s payment to cover additional expenses.

Experts Urge Stronger Food Safety Oversight

Public health experts urged the BMC to revise its penalty structure and strengthen monitoring to guarantee that patients receive safe, hygienic, and quality food. They cautioned that without stronger enforcement, the outsourcing plan could compromise food safety standards in civic hospitals.

Source: Free Press Journal