Akshaya Chaitanya, an initiative of the HKM Charitable Foundation, is an NGO in Mumbai attempting to make food accessible to the needy across town by serving them hot, nutritious, and locally palatable meals. They are now catering to 13 hospitals in Mumbai with their "Swasthya Ahara program".
Akshaya Chaitanya is expanding their reach all over Mumbai and Hyderabad. Serving 12,000 beneficiaries everyday, their state of the art kitchen has the capacity to reach 20,000 meals per day. Swasthya Ahara Program was launched with a view to release the burden of the expense a patient’s family incurs while struggling with the ailing health of a loved one. It is also noteworthy to mention that Akshaya Chaitanya recently tied up with Mumbai’s largest government hospital, KEM, with breakfast meals supported by the Jewelex group, and lunch meals sponsored by Mahanagar Gas Ltd.
"Akshaya Chaitanya is offering free meals at Mumbai's public hospitals not only to satiate hunger but also to encourage the caregivers' efforts to look after the patient's health and save for medication. With the support of our corporate partners like JB Pharma, Jewelex, Panasonic and Mahanagar Gas, we are able to provide free-of-cost meals to caregivers. After reaching 13 hospitals, 53 municipal schools and 3 slums in Mumbai, we are now looking forward to further expanding our initiative by collaborating with additional partners and supporters”, said Mr. Vikas Parchhanda, CEO of Akshaya Chaitanya.
Saraswati Brijesh Vishwakarma, a resident of Nalasopara, Mumbai shares how Akshaya Chaitanya is helping ease her burden, “Since August 18th, I have been running in and out of BYL Nair Hospital to receive treatment for my niece's broken hip caused by a falling tree. My family merely earns 7,000 rupees a month, but my niece's family in Uttar Pradesh relies entirely on her father, a daily wage labourer. Her family is living from hand to mouth. Consequently, I brought her to Mumbai for the procedure. However, even now I am running low on cash. The hospital bills have already exceeded more than INR 50,000. She had surgery recently and is now in the intensive care unit. Along with the cost of treatment, we also have to pay for travel, food, and medicine. We spend approximately 150 rupees on breakfast and dinner each day. The free food I get at lunchtime through Akshaya Chaitanya relieves me of all my tension, regardless of the difficulties I face throughout the day. At least this is the one time of the day when I can unwind and have a hearty meal without worrying about the cost. And every bite of this meal makes me feel content and loved."
