AIIMS Delhi closes 2 hostels mess over poor hygiene complaints

New Delhi: Following a surprise inspection by representatives of various doctors' organizations, the administration of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, ordered to shut down messes in two hostels with immediate effect.

The AIIMS administration has decided to shut down a mess and a cafe in two hostels from Tuesday over the sub-standard quality of food and poor hygienic condition reads the official order.

A letter by the AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association to institute director Dr. Randeep Guleria recently alleged that poor hygienic conditions were noticed during a surprise inspection by the representatives of RDA, Scientists of Young Society, and AIIMS Students Association in the presence of the hostel warden, security officials and an FSSAI official on August 10 following which it was shut down.

Also Read:Doctors' forum claims poor hygiene at AIIMS Delhi mess

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that the irregularities and unhygienic conditions had been observed after a surprise inspection was conducted by representatives of various doctors' organizations on August 10.

In the letter, it was alleged that the mess was reopened by the administration within an hour without addressing the issues.

The RDA had raised several issues about the hygienic conditions and poor quality of food such as rotten vegetables, fungus growing and ants roaming in the freezer, live rat in the utensil cleaning area, lizards in the flour storage area, and mess workers working without gloves or aprons.

An official said that the FSSAI officials visited the hostel mess under the 'Eat Right Campus' initiative. The resident doctors and the FSSAI officials sent the review to the hostel administration after signing the letter. The officials gave some time to the mess manager and the staff members to take out any raw materials or food items that may go waste before shutting it down. However, it was opened within an hour of being closed down without taking any safety measures by the hostel administration, said the doctors' association.

"The irregularities were so severe that everyone present reasoned out that if the mess continued to function it could cause a major health hazard," the RDA mentioned in the letter.

Following this, the stores officer (hostel) at AIIMS, in an order on August 27, said, "In view of the observations during the surprise inspection of the various messes by members of the food safety and hygiene committee, the executive members of the user organizations, and food safety inspectors it has been decided to shut down the messes in Hostel 7 and the cafe in hostel 5 with effect from the morning of Tuesday." 

Also Read:Violation of food safety norms at AIIMS Delhi Mess? Doctors' forum seeks immediate action