People cook for their loved ones, who are staying at the Lishui Central Hospital, at the shared kitchen in Kuocang community. [Photo/zj.people.cn]

There is a shared kitchen in the northwest corner of Kuocang community, opposite the Lishui Central Hospital in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province.

The kitchen has all the facilities that a home kitchen should have, including gas, pots, pans and condiments. They are all provided free to whoever uses the facility.

The shared kitchen was set up by Shen Xiangdang, who hopes that all the patients at Lishui Central Hospital that are from other places can have delicious meals.

In February, Shen transformed her outside kitchen in the Kuaocang community into a shared kitchen. Shen spent more than 15,000 yuan ($2,340) to renovate the place and buy new kitchen equipment and supplies. She also repaired the canopy at the door of the kitchen.

When being asked why she did all this, Shen simply said: "I heard that some patients from other places who are staying at the hospital need nutritious food and some are missing the tastes from home."

"Then I came up with the idea to share my kitchen with them, as my home is close to the hospital," she added.

Her shared kitchen soon became a hot favorite with the patients.

"My son cooked a meal for me yesterday at the shared kitchen. It was very delicious, like it was cooked at home," said a leukemia patient surnamed Yang, from Lishui's Songyang county. She has been suffering from the disease for more than three years and often needs to stay in the hospital in the city center for treatment.

"Leukemia patients are very demanding on food hygiene," Yang said. "We are also worried about the food bought in shops. With the shared kitchen, we can cook it ourselves, which is not only hygienic but also more nutritious."

Over the past few months, nearly 100 people have come to the kitchen to cook.

Seeing that more and more people are using it, Shen said that she hopes this kitchen can bring warmth to everyone and help the patients to recover and go home soon.