Patients’ menu at BMC hospitals to be enriched

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon widen the menu of patients admitted to its municipal general hospitals. The civic body will also start serving free lunch and dinner to patients at peripheral hospitals, who have been getting only breakfast comprising bread and milk.

The corporation is looking at employing services of ISKCON Food Relief Foundation (IFRF) or Akshaya Patra — which will soon serve mid-day meals in BMC schools — for cooking the food.

The civic body has given its in-principle approval to float a tender inviting parties to prepare food such as poha and idli for breakfast, and chapatti and vegetables for lunch and dinner of patients.

"Instead of milk and white bread presently served in hospitals, we would give patients more nutritious food such as idli and poha," said Dr Seema Malik, chief medical superintendent and head of the department for secondary health services in the city.

Health committee chairman Geeta Gawli said, "The meals will take into account the needs of the patient. So, if a high-protein diet is required, we will try to serve eggs to the patient."

As part of the move, chappatti -making machines will also be added to all hospitals.

Gawli said, "At present, two chappatti machines are in use at KEM Hospital and Nair Hospital. We have asked the BMC to get more machines to cover all the hospitals. Apart from KEM, Sion Hospital and Nair Hospital, where proper lunch of chappatti and sabzi is served, patients at peripheral hospitals are served only bread and milk for breakfast. This is not good for a recovering patient."

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