Over 100 in-patients undergoing treatment in the Government Hospital at Mettupalayam for various health maladies are going to bed on an empty stomach every day, as the food rationing system meant for patients has collapsed. The patients in the 116-bed hospital are denied their right due to red-tapism in renewing a permit with the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNSC), which is the lone supplier of rice to the hospital.

The Mettupalayam GH is the major hospital in the region and caters to people in the town as well as the surrounding villages too.

“Despite a letter of representation praying for renewal of the said permit with TNCSC, it has not drawn any response from the officialdom concerned,” say doctors working in the hospital.

The letter with indent was sent to the Taluk office on January 5 itself, to be forwarded to the District Collector T.N. Hariharan, as per the procedure. “Repeated reminders and phone calls to the Taluk office have gone unanswered.

Earlier they cited Pongal holidays for the delay. But to this day, we have not received a positive reply from the officials concerned,” said a doctor working in the hospital, who didn’t want to be identified.

Unable to bear the plight of the patients, some donors came forward to donate rice bags, and the paramedical staff, including nurses, pitched in and procured rice using their family cards.

“The hospital staff is distributing bread using their own money… how long can they afford to do so in the absence of a regular supply,” ask the patients admitted there.

“The patients are mostly from poor socioeconomic backgrounds so unless the officials act fast and renew the permit, the same conditions may prevail,” said public watchers.

When Covai Post contacted the concerned section of TNCSC, the person who responded was evasive in his replies and abruptly disconnected the line saying it is a “wrong number”. The repeated calls to the District Supply officer also went unanswered.