Kerala to set up community kitchens in govt hospitals; restricts display of banners and political branding

Alappuzha: The Kerala government will establish community kitchens in government hospitals across the state to streamline the distribution of free meals for patients and their attenders, Health Minister K Muraleedharan announced on Saturday.

Addressing reporters, Muraleedharan said voluntary organisations would no longer be allowed to distribute food inside hospital premises under their own banners, flags or political identities.

"Several organisations are currently distributing food while displaying large banners. This will not be allowed in the future. Anyone who wishes to donate food can hand it over to the community kitchen. However, no banners, names or flags of any organisation will be permitted. Government hospitals are not places to display political or organisational flags," the minister said.

The initiative will be launched initially at the Government Medical College, Alappuzha, before being extended to government hospitals across Kerala.

The announcement comes days after Ambalapuzha MLA G Sudhakaran criticised the practice of organisations displaying banners and flags while distributing food packets at government hospitals. He said government medical colleges are public institutions and food distribution should be organised through the government rather than by organisations seeking publicity.

At present, several voluntary organisations, including those affiliated with political parties, distribute food packets daily to attenders at government medical colleges and other public hospitals across the state.

Responding to the announcement, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state president V Vaseef welcomed the community kitchen initiative but said the organisation would continue its free meal distribution until it receives an official directive to stop.

"If the government can provide an alternative to the nearly 40,000 meals DYFI distributes every day, we will be happy to step back. Let the community kitchens serve everyone," he said.

Vaseef said DYFI had begun the initiative because there was no existing mechanism to provide free meals to hospital attenders.

"We will continue the distribution until we are officially directed to stop. If the Health Department or the government asks us to discontinue it, we will decide our future course of action," he added.