Bring food from home, hospital advises patients as LPG crisis burns its kitchen.

Mumbai: In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry, the prestigious Quackdoses Multispeciality Hospital (QMH) has reportedly advised patients to bring food from home, as an LPG supply crunch triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict begins to choke hospital kitchens harder than an unmonitored oxygen line.

The announcement—ironically delivered via the same public announcement system usually reserved for “Code Blue” emergencies—urged patients and their relatives to carry their own tiffins, citing “reduced LPG availability” and “operational limitations of the kitchen.”

In an exclusive bedside interview, a relative of a Gujarati patient admitted to the ICU (Intensive Charging Unit) said: “We were prepared for surgery, not a dabba system,” he remarked while unpacking a three-tier stainless steel tiffin filled with khakra, thepla, fafda, and the mandatory mukhwas—carefully curated for his diabetic, hypertensive patient.

“Right now, the canteen is serving only dal-rice and sandwiches—which feels less like a dietician’s menu and more like a discharge summary.”

Industry observers say the situation highlights how global geopolitical tensions can disrupt even the most routine aspects of life—including the sacred hospital khichdi supply chain.

For now, hospitals maintain that these are temporary measures. Patient kitchens are expected to return to normal operations once LPG supplies stabilize. However, if the situation continues for a prolonged period, hospital management may consider “treatment from home” or hybrid arrangements for non-critical patients—extending the work-from-home model into clinical care.

Until then, thousands of patients across India may need to BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) while seeking treatment—a rare moment where survival depends equally on medical care and what’s inside your tiffin.