Two venerable organizations, The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) and the Sir Ratan Tata Institute (RTI) have come together with serial social entrepreneur Nagpur-based Khushroo Poacha’s voluntary organization Seva Kitchen, to provide free meals to all out-patients and carers of those admitted to the free wards of the Hospital, with effect from March 16, 2024. As stated head of operations at RTI Shernaz Buhariwala, "While patients are being looked after and treated at the Hospital, the relatives or caregivers often neglect their own well-being as they physically and emotionally deal with stress of an ailing family member.” She told us later that at present about 20-25 persons avail of this facility. She shared the menu co-branded with Seva Kitchen with Parsiana. It consists of seven snacks, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
Top, 2nd to 5th from l: Yazdi Tantra, Shernaz Buhariwala, Kaiyosh Keravala,
Neville Jamshedji, flanked by Parsee General Hospital staff; above: Khushroo Poacha
Seva Kitchen will connect donors with those who need a free meal. Buhariwala stated that "patients’ relatives or out-patients can register at the Hospital reception and collect a Seva Kitchen free meal coupon, which they then redeem at the cafeteria managed by RTI.” An individual can avail of one coupon per day. "If the patient is in Hospital for, say, a week the relative can take a coupon every day… But they can’t club coupons.” She added that the process is based on seamless technology to track the coupons availed of. Payment is made directly by the donor to RTI for the meals served. "We hope to serve more and more meals and know that the community will continue to donate generously for those who need it most,” she added.
The Hospital is the 11th location where Seva Kitchen provides food for carers, pan-India, including the Tata Memorial Centre. The low-key Poacha told us, "Donors can donate meals in multiples of 100 and they have the option to donate as many meals as they wish. The best part — when your first meal and last meal is served, you will receive a login ID and password so you can track every donated meal.” The donor community is connected on a WhatsApp group, stated a write-up from Seva Kitchen.
Seva Kitchen runs crowdsourcing campaigns on websites or by word of mouth where donors pay forward for meals, grocery kits, milk and juices, etc. The amounts raised through the campaigns are directly paid to vendors who deliver the material required to the designated Seva locations where it is given to needy children, patients and relatives of patients in hospitals.
Poacha informed Parsiana, "My gratitude to (chairman of The Zoroastrian Co-Operative Bank Limited) Yazdi Tantra who took the initiative and spoke to the Hospital management for the same. Our gratitude to (Hospital chairman) Homa Petit and the trustees of the Hospital who gave us permission for the same.
Donors may contact Poacha on 9561011264.