50-year-old Kolkata driver feeds families of patients at state-run hospitals for free

A car driver by profession, 50-year-old Partha Kar Chowdhury, is winning hearts by feeding relatives of patients at state-run hospitals in Kolkata for free.

50-year-old Partha Kar Chowdhury is a pool car driver by profession and a good Samaritan, who feeds hungry mouths by night in Kolkata. Popularly known as the 'Hospital Man', Chowdhury collects food and distributes it to the relatives of patients at different government hospitals for free.

Chowdhury is a resident of Kalighat in Kolkata and has been distributing food to the poor for the past five years and continued the same during the pandemic-induced lockdown. After completing his duty for the day, he slips into the second role, prepares food and transports food to hospitals using his own vehicle.

It was in 2016 that Partha was moved by the plight of needy patients and their relatives in government hospitals and then decided to distribute food to the hungry, needy and distressed people.

Recalling his experience when he was admitted to a government-run hospital in Kolkata due to a lung ailment, he says, "I was moved after seeing the condition of how relatives of patients shared food provided by the hospital authorities. Most of them could not even for an entire day. I decided to bring food for them with whatever I had."

Initially, he started giving puffed rice packed in paper packets to nearly 20 to 25 people. But when he realised that it wouldn't be enough, the car driver decided to take up the role of 'Hospital man'.

Partha cooks the food, transports and distributes it to more than 150 people thrice a day on a daily basis. He often wears a blue T-shirt which has 'Hospital Man' written in bold letters, which makes him stand out in the crowd.

He has started distributing food at four government hospitals and also runs a free medical camp on Sunday. With time, his noble initiative has gained recognition among the public and now they also donate rice and dal to the needy.