Volunteers step up to offer free meals to visitors to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga

A few non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with the help of donors, have been offering lunch to people at McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, Karnataka, in recent months. Every day they provide food to outpatients, caregivers and people visiting the hospital from far away places.

Amrutha Annadasoha Trust, Navyashree Eshwaravana Charitable Trust, members of former Legislative Council Chairman DH Shankarmurthy’s family, businessmen belonging to the Bhoopalam family, and friends of former Mayor Shankar, share the responsibility of providing food among themselves.

Shankar and his friends started offering lunch every Sunday in 2024. The gesture received a good response and people felt it was necessary considering the socio-economic background of the people who visit the hospital every day.

Gradually other organizations joined the initiative.

Amrutha Annadasoha Trust offers food two days a week. “We started our operation in September 2024. Since then, we have provided food for 120 days,” said Sathish Kumar Shetty of the trust. Mr Shetty, a retired director of a pharmacy school, said his organization had partnered with a caterer, who is keen to contribute to a philanthropic cause, to prepare and serve lunch to nearly 500 people two days a week.

The Navyashree Eshwaravana Trust offers lunch two days a week: every Tuesday and Saturday. The trust completed 100 days of service on November 4. MV Nagesh, founder of the trust, said the organization started the activity in November 2024. “Of the total 100 days we provided lunch for, the trust funded the food on 10 days, with donations covering the remaining days.” Donors have come forward to offer food in memory of their deceased parents, or for some other happy occasion at home. “We collect ₹5,000 per day from donors. The amount is only for the cost of ingredients. With that money, we offer rice, sambar, a sweet and buttermilk to around 350 people,” Mr Nagesh said.

A group of retired police officers, who joined the government service as police officers in Shivamogga in 1993, had contributed money for the luncheon on November 4. The trust has similar offers from donors for the next ten days.

The donors want a permanent home to offer lunch. The Mc Gann hospital administration has responded to their plea. Mr Dhananjay Sarji, an MLC, said on November 4 that the Karnataka government had approved the construction of a structure with all basic amenities to provide food to visitors to the hospital, which has 1,200 beds and is affiliated with the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences.

The hospital is one of the leading hospitals in the Malnad region. An average of 4,500 people visit the hospital every day. Every day, approximately 50 major operations and 140 minor operations are performed in the hospital.