Shocking! Major hygiene lapses found in Hyderabad government hospital kitchens

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Hyderabad: The Telangana Food Safety Task Force, as part of routine quality assurance inspections, has uncovered serious hygiene and maintenance issues in the diet kitchens of three major government hospitals in Hyderabad. The kitchens at Government Maternity Hospital in Sultan Bazar, Government ENT Hospital in Koti, and Area Hospital in Nampally were all found to operate under conditions raising significant food safety concerns.

According to a post by the Commissioner of Food Safety on the official Telangana X account, “Telangana Food Safety Task Force, as part of their routine quality assurance, carried out inspections at diet kitchens of 3 govt hospitals; GMH Sultan Bazar, Govt ENT Hospital Koti & Area Hospital Nampally.”

Inspection team flags multiple hygiene issues

The post detailed the issues observed at each hospital. At the Government Maternity Hospital, managed by contractor M/s Katikam Linga Reddy, inspectors noted open waste bins, rice bags and raw vegetables stored directly on the floor, absence of water quality test reports, no FoSTaC training for staff, and food handlers working without caps or aprons.

The Area Hospital in Nampally, operated by M/s Shiva Sai Manpower Services, showed unclean floors, rusty racks, greasy exhaust systems, damp walls, and damaged window mesh. At the Government ENT Hospital in Koti, managed by M/s Boini Shiva Kumar, the team observed overflowing drainage, potential pest entry points, greasy exhausts, and a lack of separate storage for raw ingredients.

Notices issued; immediate corrective measures ordered

The Food Safety Task Force confirmed that notices have been issued to the respective contractors, with directions provided to the medical superintendents of the hospitals to implement immediate corrective measures. Authorities emphasised that prompt action is critical to protect patient health and prevent any risk of food-borne illness.

These inspections form part of ongoing monitoring efforts by the Telangana Food Safety Task Force to uphold hygiene standards across government-run healthcare facilities in the state.