Apart from saving lives of patients, RGGGH becomes a source of income to vendors

While only a few of them are allowed to operate a store or stall inside the hospital premises, others operate it near the entrance and pavements. The patients not only find these products cheap, but these vendors offer a little convenience in the midst of all hassles of hospitalization.

From a complete fruit diet to home cooked food, these vendors know the dietary instructions given to you by your doctor. 59-year-old Jayanthi, prepares Idlis and Idiyappams early in the morning every day to sell them to the patients and their attendees near the entrance of RGGGH.“Doctors usually advice patients to eat Idli, Idiyappam and other bland food for various health reasons but not all the patients would be able to get food from their homes every day to the hospital. I sell food to about 300 people every day and that is how I have been earning my livelihood for past 10 years,” said Jayanthi. Not just Jayanthi but more than 50 vendors sell various types of food items including fruit salad and juices.

The vendors also deliver food to the respective wards, “Some patients have only one attendant and they have to leave the patient alone to come out to buy food. Hence, we go on rounds inside the hospital premises to sell food. Sometimes we even deliver food to the respective wards of the patients,” said 19-year-old Vignesh, a vendor at RGGGH.

The patients who come from other districts and States are not always equipped with enough clothes especially when the patient is admitted during a time of emergency. However, thanks to these vendors for making all sorts of clothing available for the in-patients.

“We sell shirts, dhotis, bed sheets, pillows, inner garments and other clothes that are easy and convenient for the patients to wear, for not more than Rs 50. Those with injuries need light cotton clothes and we get the clothing made of appropriate fabric and them,” said Gomathi, who runs a stall inside the GH for more than five years now.

“My mother cannot walk as she has an injury so we required a portable toilet seat. We are from Mumbai so I was not familiar with the market and I could not leave my mother here alone. These vendors are available round the clock and are very helpful for people like us who come from other States for treatment,” said Nida, an attendee for a patient from Mumbai.

Walking stick, portable toilet seats, sanitary napkins and other items required by the patients are available according to the needs of the patients. “We also sell daily use materials such as hair oil, talcum powder, soaps, toothpaste and other things in a kit of about Rs 50-100. This is profitable for us and useful for the patients who stay here for more than 15-20 days. I earn about Rs 2000-Rs 3500 every day,” said Karpagam, a vendor outside the hospital.

The patients require case notebooks to maintain case sheets and files at GH. Photocopies are also required. Hence, the stationery store running inside the hospital comes to the rescue of the patients. “We get more than 500 customers every day. Mostly in-patients and those who apply for insurance schemes come to our store,” said Ramesh, who runs the stationery store at RGGGH.

Many utensils ranging from small containers to jugs and buckets, also finds many costumers and are sold at various stalls inside the hospital premises and also at the entrance. “Small plastic boxes required for the patients to collect and send samples for testing are also sold. I sell more than 30-35 jugs and mugs in a day. Small utensils and disposable materials remain in demand as patients even stay for more than a month,” said Vetri, a vendor outside the hospital.

The hospital authorities said that the shops inside the hospital premises are the only licensed ones and the vendors outside the hospital may not sell products of good quality. “Though it is the choice of a patient to buy goods and food items from whomsoever they want, we can control the vendors functioning within the premises and ensure quality of the products. The vendors outside may be of convenience for the patients, but we cannot have a quality check of their products,” said Dr Narayana Swami, medical superintendent of RGGGH.