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Lack of nutritious food in hospitals?

27 Sep 2022

  • Nurses’ Union alleges lack of funds from Health Ministry 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera   The All-Ceylon Nurses’ Union (ACNU) claimed that due to the Ministry of Health not alloting the necessary financial allocations, the process of providing food to patients in all hospitals, including the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo, has been affected, and that as a result, the nutritional status of the patients has seriously deteriorated. Speaking to The Morning, ACNU President S.B. Mediwatta claimed that the Ministry had failed to make relevant payments to suppliers of hospital food for many months, which, he said, has caused a decrease in the quality of food provided to pateints and the suspension of some types of food that were previously provided to patients.  “Fish, meat, eggs, milk, biscuits, marmite, soup, and fruits are now rarely made available to patients. Also, since patients in intensive care units cannot consume solid food, they are usually given liquid food such as porridge. Even though red rice is needed to prepare porridge, hospitals have not been getting red rice for many months now, so the patients are being given porridge made of imported white rice,” he explained. Mediwatta further said that in view of the current economic situation in the country, many patients receiving treatment in hospitals do not recieve food from their own homes as was the usual practice, due to patients’ family members being unable to visit them regularly as a result of the high costs in travelling. He explained that, therefore, many patients rely on the food provided by the hospital, although the food may be decreased in nutrional value. “In addition to the patients, the junior staff of hospitals are also usually provided food. At present, they are being given food that is of low quality. I personally know that most health workers at the NHSL are from remote areas and are renting places in Colombo. The rent for such places has gone up with the current economic situation, and they have to take care of their families too. They can’t afford to buy food under these conditions, so the authorities should ensure the wellbeign of health workers,” he added. Mediwatta further alleged that the main reason for this situation is the negligence of the Ministry. He also said that the Government, which spends a lot of money to maintain a large number of Ministers and State Ministers, should explain to the people the reason for not allocating the necessary provisions to ensure that proper food is provided to hospital patients. Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Sri Chandraguptha was not available for comment. Meanwhile, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa said last week that the Department of Health Services of the North Central Province (NCP) had issued a circular directing hospital administrations to stop providing milk to patients until further notice. Showing the relevant circular in Parliament, he said that the hospitals have also been instructed to provide freshwater fish instead of sea fish.  “I will be tabling this circular in Parliament. What a shameless act this is. The Government which has appointed 38 State Ministers has asked hospitals to stop providing milk and sea fish to patients. I would like to ask if the same condition will be applicable to the Parliament’s canteen. Therefore, remove this circular immediately. If it is not possible to supply sea fish, remove some of the State Ministers and provide the patients with fish using the money spent on State Ministers,” he said.  


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