A cockroach was discovered in a meal served to an indoor patient at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, Thane, on the night of August 28. The hospital, run by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), has launched an inquiry into the incident, according to the dean, Dr. Swapnali Kadam.
The incident occurred in Ward No. 6, where a patient recovering from eye surgery was served dinner. The patient was an elderly woman from Airoli, according to reports. Fellow patients clicked photographs of the contaminated meal, which later went viral, said Swapnil Mahindrakar, an activist with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and President of the Janhit & Legal Cell (Thane City).
Dr. Kadam stated that the hospital administration took cognisance of media reports about the incident and initiated a probe, the report of which is awaited. She noted that no written complaint had been received and that she learned of the incident through media reports. As a precautionary measure, pest control and sanitisation of the kitchen area have been started, she said.
The facility prepares over 1,000 meals daily for patients from Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and nearby rural areas. Following the incident, MNS activists, led by Mahindrakar, conducted an on-site inspection and demanded a comprehensive safety inspection of the hospital kitchen, cooking standards, and storage practices. Mahindrakar said he had written to the municipal commissioner and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking an inspection of the hospital kitchen and its food-handling practices. He also demanded that the food supply contractor be blacklisted and that criminal cases be registered against the vendor and administrative officials.
"The FDA is actively carrying out strict inspections across Maharashtra under its food safety campaign," Mahindrakar said. "Why is the FDA remaining silent when such an unpardonable lapse occurs in a major government medical facility? We demand a comprehensive safety inspection of the hospital kitchen, cooking standards, and storage practices. Citizens admitted to public hospitals have a fundamental right to clean, safe, and quality food."