KATHMANDU: For the past five years, Tulsi Shrestha has quietly been feeding patients and their caregivers across Nepal’s hospitals. But during the recent Gen-Z protests, his usual work took on a new, urgent dimension.
With curfews in place and chaos on the streets, Shrestha found himself delivering meals not through standard channels, but inside an ambulance.
“The curfew shut down everything,” Shrestha told Khabarhub. “Hospital canteens were closed, hotels and restaurants were unavailable, and we still had to feed doctors, nurses, patients, and caregivers. So we brought the food directly to them in an ambulance.”
His ‘Free Meal Delivery Service’ vehicle had been damaged by protestors, prompting him to request an ambulance from Civil Hospital to continue feeding those in need.
Before the protests, Shrestha and his team served around 700 people daily. Now, with the influx of injured protestors, hospital staff, and patients unable to return home due to the curfew, that number has more than doubled.
“Currently, we are feeding about 1,500 people every day,” he said. “On the very first day of the protests, we delivered meals at 5 pm to the injured and their caregivers. The need was immediate, and we could not wait.”
The challenges, however, went beyond just logistics. “Some of our staff got hurt in the process,” Shrestha said, mentioning Lalit Raut, who sustained injuries from both protestors and police while helping deliver meals. Despite the risks, Shrestha’s team continued their mission without pause. “Even with attacks and obstacles, we made sure no one went hungry,” he said.
Shrestha also highlighted a common misconception during the protests. “Many of those who damaged our vehicle were not genuine participants in the Gen-Z movement,” he said. “They didn’t understand that we were providing food for the injured and patients. But even when faced with hostility, we kept our focus on helping those who truly needed it.”
While the government had promised free treatment for those injured in the protests, Shrestha noted that the policy was not fully implemented. Many critical tests, such as MRIs, were unavailable in the hospital and required patients to seek private services, often at their own expense. Medicines unavailable in the hospital pharmacy also had to be purchased externally. “Patients and caregivers complained that they were not getting the full benefit of promised assistance,” he said.
Shrestha, a resident of Gokarneshwar Municipality-6, Jorpati, has long been dedicated to feeding patients at hospitals offering cancer treatment as well as trauma and teaching hospitals across the country. Through his organization Sahanubhuti Nepal, he has ensured that thousands of patients and caregivers receive meals free of cost, providing an often-overlooked form of support to the country’s vulnerable populations.
During the protests, the organization went a step further. Beyond providing food, they offered financial assistance to help the injured return home safely. “Many injured people were from outside Kathmandu,” Shrestha said. “Without family or caregivers, they had no one to turn to. We made sure they were fed and had the resources to get home.”
Despite the unprecedented challenges, Shrestha expressed gratitude to donors and volunteers who made it possible to continue feeding such a large number of people. “Even as the number of people increased, support from citizens and institutions helped us maintain our services,” he said. “We even provided fruits and juices along with meals. Our goal is to ensure that the families of those injured or killed in the protests receive justice and that the purpose of their struggle is not lost.”
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