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At the women’s ward at Regional Mental Hospital in Pune’s Yerawada, a 32-year-old patient carefully picks up her plate and waits for a serving of ‘matki usal’. “Last Wednesday, we were served chicken, and it was very nice. Now we will get it next Wednesday, and I look forward to the boneless chicken curry,” she says, checking with the nurse-in-charge, Sangeeta Jadhav, for confirmation.
At the hospital’s prisoners’ ward, a 21-year-old undertrial diagnosed with mental illness nods in agreement when asked if he likes chicken curry. “Accha hai (It is nice),” he responds. A 37-year-old patient says it is “tasty”.
After almost three decades, the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) at Yerawada has reintroduced chicken as a dish. Two months later, this once-in-a-fortnight treat has become a hit with a rising demand for boneless chicken curry to become a weekly dish. Also, the kitchen has been modernised at Rs 4 crore and two new roti-making machines take care of 4,000 chapatis required daily for over 955 patients with mental illness.
Dr Shrinivas Kolod, the acting medical superintendent of RMH, recalled that in 1997, a patient had a health scare after a chicken bone got into his airway, resulting in asphyxia. “He was stable later. However, since then, chicken has not been served at the hospital,” Dr Kolod told The Indian Express.
The incident caused significant hesitation in reintroducing the poultry product. It was not until 28 years later that Dr Kolod decided to submit a proposal to the nine-member mental health review board to seek a decision on the matter.
“Chicken is a lean source of high-quality protein and rich in various important nutrients. We also wanted to add variety to the meals being served at the hospital,” he said.
The review board, headed by the Pune district judge, approved reintroducing boneless chicken. Hospital authorities also decided to closely monitor the meals being served and ensure that fresh vegetables are delivered daily at 5 am. The menu includes morning tea, breakfast options such as usal pav, pohe, or upma, and lunch and dinner featuring rotis, rice, and vegetables. The hospital has designated Fridays for serving egg curry.
Monika Phalke, hospital dietitian, says they must ensure that each patient gets a minimum of 80 grams of protein daily for overall health. “So, for the vegetarian patients, we also have jaggery and peanut ladoo as a high-protein snack on the days chicken curry is served,” said Phalke.
Rohini Bhosale, social services superintendent, said that as per the Mental Health Act, each patient has the right to nutritious food for overall well-being. “This re-introduction of chicken curry gives them a feeling of being special,” she said.
The 118-year-old mental health facility currently cares for 955 patients, including 355 women. A minimum of 80 kg of boneless chicken is required to prepare a special curry on Wednesday.
“Venkatashwara Hatcheries sponsors raw chicken every fortnight. But such has been the demand that we hope to serve boneless chicken curry every week,” Dr Kolod said. The special dishes include pineapple sheera and lapsi (a sweet dish of roasted and cooked broken wheat flavoured with cardamom powder).
There are 42 cooks in the renovated kitchen, and a fair amount of workload has been addressed as the hospital authorities purchased two roti-making machines. “At least a minimum of 4,000 rotis have to be made daily, and with the machine now, it takes an hour to make at least 600 rotis,” Dr Kolod said.
Earlier this year, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar visited RMH as part of a stock-taking exercise and heard complaints about cleanliness and hygiene apart from vacancies for posts of psychiatrists, ECG technicians and vocational trainers. While decisions were taken to upgrade the health machinery, Abitkar said they were exploring ways and means to ensure the welfare of the mentally ill and provide rehabilitation.
As a result, the outpatient department (OPD) hours have been extended from 9 am to 5 pm, replacing the previous hours of 9 am to 2 pm. This change accommodates patients who travel long distances for consultations. Dr Polod said the number of distress calls to the TeleManas helpline has increased over the years, stating, “Daily, we receive at least 300 to 400 calls. We have 16 counsellors available to assist the callers. However, there continues to be a shortage of psychiatrists.”
The hospital has established an oral rehydration solution (ORS) corner to help prevent heat-related illnesses. The purpose of the ORS corner is to prevent dehydration, serve as a monitoring system, identify patients suffering from heat-related conditions, and provide them with appropriate medication.
