CHANDIGARH, July 2 —A serious hygiene crisis has gripped the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) as sewage water has entered the staff canteen, where daily meals and tea are prepared for over 1,000 hospital employees.
Located near the Research Blocks A and B, the canteen is managed by PGIMER’s Employees Welfare Canteen Management Committee and also supplies refreshments via trolleys to operation theatres, wards and offices. However, for the past two days, kitchen and dining areas have been flooded with drainage water, leaving the staff no choice but to work and walk through contaminated wastewater.
A site visit by this reporter confirmed that sewage is entering from the kitchen side, flowing into the dining hall and filling the passage completely. Around 50 permanent and outsourced canteen workers are forced to continue food preparation under these appalling conditions.
“This isn’t the first time. Every year, we face the same issue of drainage water entering the canteen,” said a contractual worker employed since 2018.
Committee chairperson Dr. S.P. Singh could not be reached for comment as he is on leave until July 15. An official from the canteen committee, on condition of anonymity, said that repeated complaints have been sent to the engineering department, but no concrete action has been taken. Even after a visit by an engineering department official, the problem persists.
Lt Col Gurvinder Singh Bhatti, Superintending Hospital Engineer, said, “Unprecedented rains have put pressure on PGI’s and UT’s main storm lines. After the UT drains were cleaned, storm water from PGI started overflowing. Since the canteen is located on a lower level, water entered the premises.”
He added that blockage from kitchen waste behind the canteen also contributes to the problem.
Apart from the sewage crisis, workers are also grappling with peeling paint from the kitchen ceiling, which poses contamination risks during food preparation. “We have to work extra cautiously. The paint keeps falling off, and there’s no telling when it might land in the food,” said a worker.
A ₹5 crore renovation proposal for the building—including the staff canteen, doctor’s canteen on the first floor, and a third-floor facility—has been in limbo for several years. Dr. Sameer Aggarwal, in charge of the renovation, said they’ve been working on the plan for over a year and are still awaiting budget clearance from the engineering department.
Lt Col Bhatti confirmed that a Delhi-based architect is currently drawing up renovation plans and the project may begin in five to seven months.
For now, however, PGIMER staff continue to be served food prepared in unsanitary conditions, with no immediate relief in sight.
