Food deliveries to help fight the Covid war

Restaurants across the city have volunteered to distribute free meals to Covid-19 patients.

Chandigarh: It’s been almost a week since Sukhpreet tested positive for Covid-19. Living alone in Chandigarh, without his family to take care of him, has made it difficult for him to do all the daily chores and keep himself healthy.

Ordering food from outside has helped him a lot. Sukhpreet got to know about the delivery services through an office colleague.

“I have been ordering food since last Wednesday (April 21),” he said. “I can’t taste the food, but it looks good and what matters is that I am having healthier food.”

Sukhpreet has been ordering from Jullunder Hotel and the food that they send helps him through the day. “We send normal food like roti, sabzi and dal,” said the manager.  “The spices and oil put in the food are very low, just the way you are supposed to make for a patient.” “We also sometimes send rajma chawal and other homemade food.” Everything made in the restaurant for Covid patients is made keeping in mind “what a patient can eat”.

“At the end of the day, what matters is that I eat healthy,” said Sukhpreet. “My family doesn’t have to worry about me not eating good food away from home.”

Jullunder Hotel makes around 400 meals a day for Covid patients in Chandigarh. The meals that they provide for Covid patients are free of cost. They have been sending food to all those patients who are living alone or are not able to cook their food.

Just like Jullunder Hotel many other restaurants have stepped forward to help the Covid patients across the city. In Chandigarh, Nirmal Bhojan, Hotel Altius, Sanstha, and 3B Foundation are sending food to patients. Nirmal Bhojan is sending food to patients in Chandigarh and Mohali. Additionally, Lezzetli, Chawla’s Restaurant, and Jashanpreet Singh are also distributing free meals in Mohali. In Panchkula, Geetanjali Puri, and Shivam, have stepped up to help the patients.

The manager of Jullunder Hotel feels that at this point what matters is the safety and health of the citizens, “profits we can think about later”. All these restaurants have stepped up, doing this service, and helping the citizens across the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula).

“Free food or anything being sold free for that matter is always considered a social marketing tool,” said Dr Jagdish C. Mehta, Head of Sociology Department, DAV College. “During these times, it’s hard to determine the intentions of a person.” These restaurants might be calling it philanthropy, but every time someone does a good deed, they have one thing at the back of their mind that, “Ek paisa doge, Vo das lakh dega” (Whatever you give, God multiplies it tenfold and gives you back).

Dr Mehta said that this could be a way of keeping restaurants open during these tough times. “This gives them a reason to keep their doors open, otherwise it is becoming very tough for restaurants nowadays.”