Mumbai: Nair Hospital nursing mess reopens after week-long shutdown over food licence issue

The operational mess at Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central. Pics/Ritika Gondhalekar

After a week-long shutdown, the Nair Hospital nursing mess reopened last Thursday after the contractor rectified an error in its food licence, allowing nursing students to return to their regular meals.

The mess was shut by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 17 after its food licence was suspended. According to the contractor, the licence did not carry the words "Canteen and Club", which are now mandatory, and the issue was rectified following the FDA's inspection.

Dean: Rules have to be followed

The hospital administration also said that compliance with norms could not be avoided.

"The way it was done was a problem. We do not have any problem with following rules. We are happy that FDA resumed our licence immediately after we complied with their requirements," said Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean.

Contractor says licence issue was technical

"There was no problem at all with the quality of food. There were a few unwashed utensils when the officer came unannounced. And the short reason was a technical point in the licence. The licence which we had earlier did not have the words ‘Canteen and Club ', which are now mandatory. We learnt this mandate only when the inspection took place. We immediately did all the required procedures and got the licence back and resumed the mess service," said Rahmatullah Mohammed, the mess contractor.

Students had to eat outside

The temporary shutdown left nursing students dependent on food from outside, forcing them to spend money from their own pockets on daily meals. The reopening came as a relief to students, many of whom rely on the mess for affordable food.

"Spending so much money for three meals per day is not possible for any of us. That one week we somehow managed. We are happy that this closure ended quickly and we can have food at the mess like usual now," said a nursing student.