Berhampur:Dietary department in a hospital plays a vital role in patient care and recovery by providing tailored nutrition plans and support.It assess patients’ nutritional needs, develop personalized diets, and offer counseling to ensure patients receive optimal nutrition throughout their hospitalization. This can significantly impact healing, recovery, and overall health outcomes.However,the dietary department in MKCG MCH seems to be an exception,as the department itself needs immediate care.Despite the state government’s efforts to strengthen the public healthcare system and violating the norms of NHM,diatery department in MKCGMCH functions in inadequate space as well in unhygenic conditon. In hospitals,the dietary department,often led by dieticians,who plays a crucial role in patient care by providing tailored dietary plans,advice and support. They assess patients’ nutritional needs,create personalised diets and educate patients on proper nutrition,all while ensuring adherence to medical recommendations.But the dietician post is vacant and the affair is being managed by staff nurse.Even,the department of the MCH is function at the annex part of the old indoor building of the MCH,which already declared unsafe.All the departments in the old indoor building has been shifted to other buildings but the diatery dept still functions. Incidently,the department providing nutritional need of over 1568 in-patients in shape of cooked and dry food,since more than one and half decade and a huge amount is being released by state govt,but the callous attitude by the authorites made the things worst at the MCH. As such,the food distribution has been outsourced to a private farm Nischint multi services,based at Bhubaneswar,since 2013.The Health Department had asked the MCH to introduce Diet Prescription Slips (DPS),keeping in mind the diet need of different patients,which too is not followed.The MCH authorities had asked the dietary wing to introduce coloured diet slips for general,cancer,TB and other patients,which never implemented.
As per provisions,the cost of diet for TB/cancer patients is Rs 85/- per day.For other patients, it is Rs 75/- and Rs 40/- for children.Rice,dal,curry and non-vegetarian items are served during meal.Dry food consists of bread, milk,eggs and bananas.The dietary department should have special diet like barley,arrowroot, oconut water and lemon drinks for diarrhoea patients.But since more than a decade,none of these food items has been provided to the patients in MCH.Rather,same diet is provided to both general and diarrhoea patients,admitted the staffs of the contractor entrusted to supply food. As per the norms,patients should be served with cooked food in disposable plates,but patients are given in polythence sochets and carry bags.Similarly the staffs should wear the uniform of the farm with head covered and gloves in hand,but nothing such happens. Moreover the patients often served food lately,mostly after 2.30 pm,although the scheduled time is 1 pm.Due to delay,many patients took food at the eatery in the hospital,but worst sufferers are the poors,who has no option other than to wait till the distribution.Though the patients often expressed their resentment,but were ignored by the authority. The irony is that to supervise the going on in the dietary department,store medical officer(SMO) Chinmany Debasish panda has been entrusted.As per the norms,he examines the diets before distribution to the patients and the MCH superientendent Prof Suchitra dash,too oversee in intervals.While the department riddled with such problems,since past some days serious irregularties in distribution of dry food,milk,eggs alleged. During a visit to the MCH it was found that the bread,milk given to the patients has no manufacturing or expiary date.While the bread without manufacturing or expiary date and only written use before five day,also releases a stale smell,the milk to sans the date of packing or expairy and to use within two day,turns curd once put for boil.Similarly,several patients has alleged supply of rotten eggs.While the bread is prepared by a local farm,the milk supplied from OMFED depot at Ankuspur on the outskrit of Berhampur. Surprisingly,Prof dash and SMO Panda who had claimed the foods were examined by them regularly expressed their dismay when the stale bread and milk packet shown to them.While Prof Dash assured for a investigation,the SMO Panda said the diet distribution outsourced and through tender the supplier farm got it.He however avoided the question on,if the supply is examined everyday,howcome stale bread and milk distributed to the patients.On the otherhand the OMFED depot authorities and the bread manufactouring unit owner,not contacted despite repeated attempts.The staffs of the supplier simply expressed that,they are doing what their employer directed. Ganjam collector Dibyajyoti parida expressed his concern over the irregularties in food delivery at the MCH and assured to look into the matter. However,BJP leader Ram kumar patra,senior advicate Abani gaya,who are fighting for the well being of the MCH since more than decades has alleged,all the irregularties done,but the authorities put a blind eye over the matter for their personal interest.Demanding examplinary action against the officials for their lapses,they said it is the hightime for intervention of the state govt,as the irregularties put the lives of the patients at risk.
