Introduction

Hospitals are places of healing — but for many families in Kerala, they are also places of hunger.

Patients and bystanders often travel from rural or coastal areas, with little money left after paying for transport and treatment. While consultations and care may be free, food is not. And that’s where the struggle begins.

At Helping Hands, we realized that you can’t heal the body if it’s hungry. That’s why we started Thripthi — to make sure no one battles illness on an empty stomach.

The Hidden Problem in Public Hospitals

Kerala’s government hospitals serve thousands each day. But beyond the doctors and beds, there’s a quieter crisis:

• Caregivers skipping meals to stretch money

• Patients avoiding medicine because they haven’t eaten

• Children eating biscuits for lunch outside pediatric wards

Most of these stories never reach the news. But we see them every day.

Thripthi: Born from Medicine, Powered by Compassion

Thripthi was not started as a standalone food relief effort. It was born from Shamanam, our Free Medicine Program.

“We were giving free medicines and saying ‘take this after food’ — but people had no food. So we had to provide that too.”

From this realization, Thripthi grew into a full-scale daily meal program — serving hot, hygienic food across three major public hospitals in Kozhikode.

Daily Numbers, Daily Lives

• 800+ meals served every day

• 2,200+ chapatis delivered weekly to Kozhikode Mental Health Centre

• Prepared by volunteers and kitchen staff in a clean, monitored space

• Free of cost, regardless of religion, age, or background

This isn’t charity. It’s nutritional justice.

Why It Matters for Health

Proper food is essential for:

• Medicine absorption (especially for cancer, TB, psychiatric drugs)

• Wound healing and immunity

• Preventing dehydration, weakness, and readmission

• Mental health stability (especially in psychiatric wards)

Feeding the body is the first step in supporting any medical treatment.

Real Stories

“I came with my son for surgery. We slept in the corridor. Thripthi gave us rice and dal every day. It kept us going.”— Mini, Attender from Vadakara

“My mother had chemo, and I had no money left for food. When Thripthi gave me a meal, I cried.” — Ashraf, Bystander

A Systemic Issue Needing a Community Response

Hospital hunger is not just a personal issue — it’s a systemic gap. And it needs a community-supported solution.

Thripthi works because people like you care — about the poor, the hungry, and the unseen.

How You Can Help

💖 Sponsor a Day’s Meal for 800 people – ₹25,000

🍛 Join the Chappathi Outreach – Fund weekly chapati delivery – ₹60,000/month

🤝 Volunteer during festivals or high-need periods

🔗 Sponsor a Meal Day

🔗 Join the Volunteer Team

Closing Note

“Before you heal the wound, fill the stomach.”

Thripthi doesn’t just feed people — it protects the dignity of care. Because no one should have to face illness hungry.