Bengaluru: As the LPG supply crisis continues, hospitals in the city are quietly putting contingency plans in place to ensure that the food supply for patients remains uninterrupted. From stocking ready-to-eat items to exploring alternative fuel sources and centralised kitchens, both govt and private hospitals say they are preparing for potential disruptions, even though supplies are not yet affected.At Victoria Hospital, the largest public healthcare facility in Bengaluru, authorities have begun stocking some essentials. “As of now, we have no shortage of gas cylinders, and the agency from which we procure has also assured us of no disruptions, as we provide emergency and essential services. However, in case of a sudden disruption, we do not want our patients to be affected. So, we started stocking some items which do not require cooking, like bread, jam, milk, and fruits. In the meantime, we are also procuring firewood as a precautionary measure,” said Dr Kavya ST, director-cum-dean, Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute (BMCRI), to which Victoria Hospital is affiliated.At Bowring Hospital, officials said they are exploring tie-ups with institutions that operate centralised kitchens. “We don’t have a cylinder shortage yet. But since there is some uncertainty around the availability of cylinders, we are planning to talk to Iskcon, which supplies food to many govt hospitals, about supplying in-patient food here too, if need be,” said Dr Manoj Kumar HV, director, Bowring Hospital.While hospitals are focusing on ensuring food for in-patients, attendants and visitors who depend on private canteens inside hospital premises remain worried. These canteens, similar to restaurants across the city, have also began cutting down menu options. Private hospitals too are taking preventive steps. At Sparsh Group of Hospitals, management said, “As part of internal efficiency measures, the in-house F&B team are rationalising certain menu options in staff cafeterias to optimise LPG usage while ensuring services continue smoothly. These steps are purely preventive and designed to minimise any potential impact on operations,” said Sai Sagar V, cluster head – F&B, Sparsh Group of Hospitals.Hospitals are also modifying patient diets to reduce cooking time while maintaining nutrition. “During such situations, the kitchen team and clinical dietitians adapt menus efficiently without compromising nutrition. This includes preparing foods that cook faster, such as non-millet porridge, sprouts, khichdi, yoghurt-based dishes, smoothies, nut pastes, boiled and sautéed lentils,” said Manisha Kumar, chief operation officer, Karnataka, HCG Cancer Hospital. “We also use electric cooking methods like induction cooktops and electric steamers for idli and boiled eggs so that we can replace an LPG-consuming dosa with a steamed idli and an omelette with boiled eggs. With these adjustments, meals remain balanced, high-protein and easy to digest for patients undergoing treatment,” she added.
