Volunteers come forward to offer free meals to visitors at McGann hospital in Shivamogga

A few non-government organisations (NGOs), with the help of donors, have been offering lunch to people at the McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, in Karnataka, for the last several months. Every day, they offer food to out-patients, carers, and those visiting the hospital from distant places.

Amrutha Annadasoha Trust, the Navyashree Eshwaravana Charitable Trust, members of former chairman of Legislative Council D.H. Shankarmurthy’s family, businessmen belonging to the Bhoopalam family, and friends of former mayor Shankar, have the shared among themselves the responsibility of offering food.

Shankar and his friends began offering lunch every Sunday in 2024. The gesture received a good response, and people felt it is required considering the socio-economic background of the people visiting the hospital every day.

Gradually, other organizations joined the initiative.

Amrutha Annadasoha Trust offers food two days a week. “We began our activity in September 2024. Since then, we have offered food on 120 days,” said Sathish Kumar Shetty of the trust. Mr. Shetty, retired principal of a pharmacy college, said that his organisation had tied up with a caterer, who is happy to contribute to a philanthropic cause, to prepare and serve lunch to nearly 500 persons two days a week.

The Navyashree Eshwaravana Trust offers lunch two days a week – every Tuesday and Saturday. The trust completed 100 days of the service on November 4. M.V. Nagesh, founder of the trust, said the organisation began the activity in November 2024. "Out of the total 100 days for which we provided lunch, the trust funded the food on 10 days while donations covered the remaining days." Donors have come forward to offer food in memory of their late parents, or any happy occasion at home. “We collect ₹5,000 per day from donors. The amount is only for cost of the ingredients. With that money, we offer rice, sambar, a sweet, and buttermilk to about 350 persons,” Mr. Nagesh said.

A group of retired police officials, who joined government service as police constables in 1993 in Shivamogga, had contributed money for the lunch on November 4. The trust has similar offers from donors for the coming 10 days.

The donors want a permanent shelter to offer lunch. The Mc Gann hospital administration has responded to their plea. Mr. Dhananjay Sarji, an MLC, on November 4, said that the government of Karnataka had agreed to build a structure with all basic facilities to offer food for visitors to the hospital, which has 1,200 beds and is attached to Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences.

The hospital is one of the major hospitals in the Malnad region. Every day, an average 4,500 persons visit the hospital. Each day around 50 major surgeries and 140 minor surgeries are conducted in the hospital.