Food stalls outside GH raise health concerns

Hawkers sell fried snacks and fruit juices on the pavement and roadside

Health authorities say they have made several efforts to remove the hawkersfrom outside GH but they return the next day

Sale of food on the pavement outside Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) has raised health concerns among authorities.

According to officials, food sold in the open, outside a hospital that receives thousands of patients and visitors every day, does not set a good example for healthy eating.

Hawkers selling various food items, including fried snacks and fruit juices, occupy the pavement and roadside outside GH’s second gate.

Health authorities say they have made several efforts to remove the hawkers from outside GH but they return the next day.

“It is not a healthy practice to have such shops located next to a hospital. These stalls sell all kinds of junk food, especially fried snacks,” says an official.

With the junction being a busy one, with constant flow of vehicles throughout the day, officials say the food stalls increase the chances of food contamination. “Food is kept in the open and there are flies and dust all around,” says the official.

There is no check on the ice used in the juice stalls, says another officer, adding the use of contaminated ice could lead to health hazards.

“The hospital has an Amma canteen, apart from the regular hospital canteen and tea stall, that provides affordable food. But many visitors to the hospital consume food at these roadside shops and there is a risk of them falling ill,” he says.

Hospital officials say the Chennai Corporation should take steps to relocate the hawkers and provide them with better amenities to carry on with their livelihood. “Sale of food in such unhygienic conditions should not be allowed,” says the official.

Hospital officials say the Chennai Corporation should relocate the hawkers and provide them with better amenities elsewhere