States » NorthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 8:33PM


UP: Food safety drive conducted across state with special focus on patients' meals

Lucknow, Oct 1 (UNI) As part of efforts to strengthen public health arrangements in Uttar Pradesh, the food safety and drug administration department conducted a statewide special campaign ahead of Gandhi Jayanti to ensure the food safety of meals being provided to patients in government hospitals and medical colleges.
Putting into practice Mahatma Gandhi's values of cleanliness, service and public health, departmental teams carried out special inspections of the kitchens and canteens attached to government hospitals and government medical colleges in all 75 districts of the state.
Officials here on Thursday said under the campaign, the arrangements at kitchens and canteens attached to about 42 government medical colleges and 150 district and other government hospitals were examined.
At these places, food is prepared and provided not only for admitted patients but also for their attendants.
Rather than limiting the campaign to checking the quality of food alone, the department examined the entire chain, from food preparation to its storage, preservation, transportation and delivery to the patient, against food safety standards.
A patient admitted to a hospital depends on the hospital administration for their treatment arrangements. In the state of illness, their dietary requirements may also differ from those of an ordinary person. In such a situation, the quality, hygiene and safe handling of food are matters directly linked to the patient's health and treatment.
Therefore, the objective of the campaign was not merely to see whether the food was of good quality, but also to ensure how clean the kitchen where the food is being prepared is, whether the raw material is safe, how the food is being kept, and whether its food safety is maintained until it reaches the patient.
During the inspection, the following were checked: cleanliness of the food preparation area, storage and preservation of food items, personal hygiene of the staff preparing the food, quality of raw materials, pest control, transportation and distribution of prepared food, drinking water, cleanliness of utensils and equipment, drainage and waste disposal, and arrangements for food in accordance with patients' medical needs.
In many kitchens, the arrangements were found satisfactory and the necessary basic facilities were available. However, at some places, points needing improvement also emerged.
During the inspection, unhygienic conditions were found in kitchens and food storage areas at some places. At some places there were drainage leakages, while at others some problems in the basic infrastructure were noticed.
At some places, the need for pest control was felt. These shortcomings were considered improvable, both for food safety and for the basic infrastructure of the kitchens.
The department has clarified that the objective of the campaign is not merely to record shortcomings, but to ensure their timely and effective resolution. In this connection, the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) or Director of the concerned hospital was informed about the major shortcomings.
Hospitals have been given 14 days to remove the identified shortcomings. After this, follow-up inspections will be conducted by the food safety department's teams.
If the expected improvement is not found in the re-inspection, action will be taken to suspend the licence and registration of the concerned food business operator. If it is not possible to complete the necessary repairs or basic improvements in any kitchen within two weeks, an alternative arrangement will have to be made without affecting the supply of food to patients.
If required, the work of preparing food may be temporarily shifted to some other safe, clean and suitable premises.
UNI MBD RN
Tags: #UP: Food safety drive conducted across state with special focus on patients' meals
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