In a first-of-its-kind move, Mumbai’s civic-run Sion Hospital will now outsource the rotis served to admitted patients, becoming the first BMC hospital to undertake such an initiative. As per a Free Press Journal report, the hospital has floated a tender to supply rotis for nearly 1,300 patients every day, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation allocating ₹13 per patient for four rotis.
Over the 120-day contract, the estimated expenditure will be around ₹20 lakh. The tender specifies that the rotis must be made exclusively from wheat flour approved for government and BMC hospitals. Each roti should weigh between 25–30 grams and be evenly cooked. Only branded refined groundnut or rice bran oil may be used. The contractor must deliver the rotis in clean, hygienic containers twice daily—between 9:00–9:30 am and 4:00–4:30 pm—without fail, including on Sundays, public holidays, and strike days.
The daily supply must match patient diet charts, and the hospital dietician will verify and approve the contractor’s bill. Previously, the hospital prepared chapatis in its own kitchen. The BMC has also mandated strict quality checks and regulatory compliance. Within three months of receiving the contract, the supplier must secure a health licence from the F/North ward office, and the hospital may inspect rotis and raw materials like wheat flour at any time. Late deliveries will not be accepted, and a penalty of ₹3 per roti will be levied for the entire quantity not delivered. If the rotis fail to meet quality standards, the contractor must fix the issue immediately; otherwise, the hospital will procure rotis from the open market and deduct any additional cost from the contractor’s payment as a penalty.