NATION : Free AIDS Patient Meals Halted

A hospital where AIDS patients received free meals has abruptly curtailed the special program, fearing possible legal problems, the owner of the restaurant chain that provided the food said today.

Tom Tunney, owner of the Ann Sather Restaurants, said he was asked to stop providing the free food to Cook County Hospital, considered one of the largest public hospitals in the world.

“It is my understanding hospital officials were concerned about their liability in dealing with food prepared outside the hospital,” Tunney said. “It’s not my role to get involved in Cook County Board policy,” he said. “The people at county asked me to start the program and I did. They told me to stop it and I did.”