Thane, September 04: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cracked down on "Ram Canteen," the catering service responsible for providing meals at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, following a shocking food safety violation. The action came after a cockroach was discovered on August 28 in a meal served to an eye surgery patient admitted to Ward No. 6.
Following intense protests and a sit-in agitation organised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) office-bearers at the Dean's office, a team led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe conducted a rigorous inspection of the hospital kitchen. Upon finding severe violations of food safety regulations, officials immediately suspended operations at the canteen.
"The safety and health of patients are non-negotiable. Following inspection, operations at the kitchen were immediately halted due to serious non-compliance with food safety standards. The facility will remain closed and will not be permitted to resume operations under any circumstances until a full inspection is completed and official approval is granted," an FDA representative stated.
Dr. Swapnali Kadam, Dean of the hospital, confirmed that the facility has been shut down and will remain closed until cleared by the authority.
Temporary meal arrangements made
To ensure that hundreds of admitted patients do not suffer due to the closure, the hospital administration has made temporary arrangements to source hygienic, safe, and nutritious meals from an alternative provider until the canteen issue is fully resolved.
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MNS demands contractor action
Swapnil Mahindrakar, Thane City President of the MNS Public Welfare and Legal Cell, demanded strict criminal action against the contractor:
"While the FDA's intervention is welcome, merely shutting down the canteen is not enough. The contractor who jeopardised patient health must be permanently blacklisted and barred from receiving any future contracts from the Thane Municipal Corporation." — Swapnil Mahindrakar, Thane City President, Public Welfare & Legal Cell, MNS
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