Mumbai’s Sion Hospital to outsource rotis under Rs 20-lakh contract

The move marks a departure from the practice followed in most other BMC hospitals, where either the entire meal is cooked in-house or contracted to a single supplier.

At Sion, the outsourced rotis and the in-house items will now form one combined meal served to patients.

According to a BMC officer, “Each chapati must weigh 25–30 grams, be evenly cooked, and delivered twice daily in sealed hygienic containers. Any delays or substandard batches will attract penalties, and the hospital may inspect the supplier’s facilities and raw materials at any time.”

The tender document estimates a requirement of more than six lakh rotis over 120 days, putting the per-roti cost at slightly above ₹3. The contractor is responsible for sourcing wheat flour approved for use in civic hospitals, along with fuel, labour and transport. Deliveries must be made every day, including weekends and public holidays.

Officials said the tender was issued partly due to workforce constraints in the hospital kitchen, where rolling thousands of rotis daily has been difficult to sustain.

An officer at Sion hospital, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the split model may create “grey areas in accountability and timing, which can affect patients who depend on timely meals for recovery.”

In 2017, Sion Hospital faced past scrutiny over food systems, including a contamination complaint from its canteen, though that incident was unrelated to patient meals. Under the new contract, the BMC dietician is required to verify compliance with diet charts before payment is approved.