Aug 22, Kathmandu - A special campaign is underway to ensure that poor patients and their caregivers who come to Kathmandu's major hospitals for treatment do not have to go hungry. This campaign is led by Empathy Nepal and its founder Tulsi Shrestha.

This campaign, which has been ongoing for five and a half years, feeds hundreds of people every day. This effort has helped alleviate some of the suffering of the sick.

This campaign was started during the lockdown during the Corona pandemic. Initially, food was served to people stranded on the streets. After seeing that patients and their relatives were not getting food at Bir Hospital and the National Trauma Center, Tulsi decided to continue this service in hospitals. And this service was focused on hospitals.

First, food was provided to patients and visitors at Bir Hospital. Then it was started at the National Trauma Center. Now, this campaign is ongoing in 5/6 hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley.

Meal times and locations

The Samanubhuti Nepal team is active from morning till night every day preparing and distributing meals. They work for about 15 hours a day.

The morning meal distribution starts from Bir Hospital in the morning. At 9:30 AM, the team reaches Bir Hospital and serves food to the patients.

Then at 10:30 AM, it reaches Kanti Children's Hospital. At 11:00 AM, it reaches Gangalal Hospital and distributes food. After completing all the work, the team returns around 12:00 PM.

There is free time from 12 noon to 2 pm. During this time, cleaning, vegetable cuttings collection, and other preparations are done.

The cooking of dinner starts at 2 pm. The distribution of dinner starts at 5 pm from Kirtipur Hospital. The patients are served food at 6 pm. They reach the National Trauma Center at 7 pm. They distribute food from 7:30 to 8 pm and return between 8:30 to 9 pm.

Samanubhuti Nepal has its office in Kapan Faika. Tulsi has rented a house where she cooks food and also provides shelter to patients who come from remote areas outside Kathmandu. Patients who need to stay for long periods for treatment are seen here. A man from Jumla has been living here for four years.

Tulsi has adopted various methods to reduce the cost of cooking. She cooks by burning firewood or old furniture, and uses free vegetables obtained from the vegetable market.

Additionally, the generosity of Nepalese has also given strength to this campaign. People volunteer their support on birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions. “We have not received any major funding from outside,” says Tulsi. “This has been possible thanks to the small contributions of people who have been touched by our work, patients we have met in the hospital, and people who have connected with us through social media”.