Three meals for Rs 10

Secunderabad: There have been instances of attendants to patients at Gandhi Hospital going without food for want of money. A majority of patients come from poor background and from far-flung towns of not just Telangana but neighbouring states as well. Thanks to the Seva Bharati Trust, the attendants no longer have to go hungry.

• Noble gesture to attendants of patients from poor background at Gandhi Hospital

• It was found often they go without meals and sleep on pavements due to lack of money

• Moved by their plight, Seva Bharati Trust started food distribution in 2013

Seva Bharati Trust in the name of Janahitha Seva started food distribution at Sivananda Shelter Home near Gandhi hospital in 2013. Under this programme, three times meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are provided to the nearly 250 patients attendees daily.

Earlier, the trust used only to provide shelter for people but later they started providing three-time food also only at the maintenance charges of Rs 10, said Narasimha Murthy, the Secretary of Seva Bharati Trust.

It was found that many people who attended to the in-patients at the hospital usually found it difficult to have a decent meal due to lack of money and would sleep on the pavement and in nearby parks.

Behind Gandhi hospital, there was Sivananda Ashram, and Swami Ji from Hrishikesh used to provide blankets to the attendants. In 2013 on the request of Dr Mehboob, the Swami Ji agreed to construct a shelter home for the attendees in 6000 sq ft.

Gandhi Medical College Global Alumni Association financed 50% of the expense for food service and 50% is given by the Seva Bharati Trust. Over a period, other organisations volunteered, said the secretary of Seva Bharati Trust.

He also said that there is a help desk at the outpatient block by our trust where we guide the people and tell them about our service. The trust also conducts various health camps across Telangana and is planning to expand its services to other Government hospitals which include Government Maternity Hospital, Koti, Osmania Hospital and soon they are going to open a shelter home in MGM Hospital, Warangal.

Tasleem Nizami who came for eye treatment from Bhopal said the doctor suggested to her to take rest and come back for the check-up again, "and as I cannot afford multiple trips, I decided to take a stay at Seva Bharathi. It is a boon to people like me."

Rita Mondal said, "I came here for my husband treatment from Assam. As I cannot afford to stay in any hotel, so I decided to stay here and I m really happy with the service."