Goa Medical College canteens to be outsourced: Health Minister

Panaji: In a bid to provide nutritious and quality food to in-patients at Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Bambolim, the government is working on a process to outsource the hospital canteens, revealed Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane. The decision has been taken recently, as the quality and hygiene in food preparation at GMC has come under Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) scrutiny. The FDA ordered the closure of all canteens, till they met with FDA compliance. The canteens remained closed for 15 days following the FDA instruction and compliance.

According to Rane, the government in a bid to put the Rs. 100 per head food expenditure for inpatients to best use, has taken a decision to outsource meals for them, reports TOI.

Meanwhile, the 15 day closure led to patients being inconvenienced in the absence of alternate eateries in the hospital vicinity.

Though there are kiosks available outside the hospital for tea snacks and rice meals, they are both illegal and do not meet up with hospital requirements, say officials at the hospital.