Hyderabad: At least 73 kitchens located in private and government hospitals have come under scrutiny after surprise inspections by the GHMC exposed multiple hygiene and safety lapses. The civic body’s food safety wing carried out these inspections on the instructions of GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnak to assess whether or not hospital kitchens complied with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.According to the press note, inspections were carried out in five hospitals in each zone. Fourteen food samples were lifted and sent to the State Food Laboratory in Nacharam for analysis.The most common violations included the absence of dedicated storage areas, unclean exhausts, patchy washing arrangements, and uncovered or unlabelled food items stored in refrigerators. In several kitchens, food was found stored directly on the ground, and dustbins were left uncovered. Inspectors also found that food and non-food articles were often stored together — raising the risk of contamination.Critically, many kitchens lacked mandatory water analysis reports and pest control documentation, which are essential to ensure safe food preparation in healthcare environments.The GHMC has directed hospital managements to immediately rectify all noted violations. The corporation stressed that hygiene must be maintained not only in food preparation but also in storage, supply, and the overall upkeep of the kitchen premises.While some hospitals have begun taking corrective steps following the inspections, GHMC officials indicated that further rounds of checks will continue in the coming weeks to ensure sustained compliance.