India, Feb. 7 -- The Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) in Yerawada served chicken to its inmates after a gap of 28 years on Wednesday, said hospital officials on Friday.

According to the officials, the hospital approached the Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group with a proposal to provide chicken to be added in meals served to inmates. The group agreed to supply 70 kg of chicken twice a month, to be increased to 90 kg per week. The initiative that aims to enhance the nutritional intake of patients will be provided free of cost under the firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity.

A senior RMH official, requesting anonymity, said, "All mental hospitals in the state had veg and non-veg food in their meals before it was stopped in 1997 a...