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Economic crisis: Hospitals swap fish for eggs

18 Sep 2022

 
  • Suppliers owed arrears 
  • Shortage of fish drives up prices
  Several hospitals have begun to introduce alternative protein-rich food to their patients due to a shortage of fish, as suppliers shun Health Ministry procurement due to delays in payments and soaring costs, The Sunday Morning learns.  The Ministry of Health had started to provide alternatives such as eggs to improve the protein intake of patients at some of the affected hospitals, authorities said, while some hospitals have established public and corporate assistance programmes to plug the gaps in food supplies.  According to All Ceylon Nurses’ Association President Senarath Madiwatta, several hospitals – including the National Hospital in Colombo – are facing shortages of protein-rich foods such as fish, yoghurt, Samaposha, poultry products, and eggs. Madiwatta stated that the shortages were affecting meal preparations and diet plans for patients who required specialised nutritional intakes.   “This is mainly due to some of the suppliers not being paid for supplies they have already delivered and the need to renew tenders to reflect current market prices,” Madiwatta told The Sunday Morning.  He pointed out that the lack of fish to maintain a robust protein supply had a negative effect on patients – especially children, patients recovering from surgeries, and those in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Madiwatte pointed out that the shortage of fish was being felt by a number of hospitals, including provincial hospitals and those in rural areas.  The prices of fish, especially sailfish and tuna, have soared over the last year due to a reduction in fishing activity as a result of the fuel shortage and its pricing.  When The Sunday Morning contacted Deputy Director of Health Dr. Hemantha Herath, he acknowledged that there were some delays in making payments to suppliers, but insisted the Ministry was moving as fast as it could to resolve the matter. According to Dr. Herath, several hospitals had been instructed to provide eggs as an alternative source of protein.  “While this is not a 100% fix, it will go some way to reduce the shortage,” Dr. Herath said, adding that the Ministry was trying to make the relevant changes to the procurement process to make the fish supply tenders more attractive to suppliers.  Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Spokesman Dr. Vasan Ratnasingam told The Sunday Morning that some hospitals such as the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) had launched meal assistance programmes where the public and corporates could contribute nutritious meals to the hospital based on a roster programme. According to him, a donor can pay for a patient’s meal or all three meals per day.  Dr. Ratnasingam pointed out that reluctance to supply fish at a lower price than the current market price and the failure of the State to provide payments or launch new tenders were increasing the challenges faced by medical practitioners to secure nutritious meals for their patients.   When The Sunday Morning contacted Ceylon Fisheries Corporation General Manager Ravinda Gunarathne, he said that the State-Owned Enterprise was doing its best to supply fish required by the national health system, but was facing hardship in sourcing quality fish to process due to a reduction in fishing and a spike in fish prices. – By Asiri Fernando

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