VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Braving the brunt in terms of ‘sub-standard’ diet being served at Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital and its Associated Hospitals including the Children’s Hospital at SMGS complex, the in-patients are in rude shock for being denied milk from today, since the contractor will be stopping the supply for non-payment.
The administration of the premier 500 bedded hospital has no money to buy milk for patients.
Over 100 patients in Burn Ward have already been asked to fend for milk and eggs on their own. The inpatients are prescribed two-times milk.
“We don’t have money to buy milk twice”, said Ghulam Mohammed, whose daughter stands admitted in the Burn Ward of GMC’s Hospital for the past 20 days.
A doctor on duty in the ward stated, ” Diet to these patients is very necessary as they require more nutrients and proteins to recover at an earliest. We make efforts to save them from infections and a healthy diet plays a major role in fighting infection.”
Dr Ravinder Rattan Pal, Medical Superintendent, GMC hospital, expressed his helplessness because of funds paucity. “The contractor has stopped the milk supply because of non payments,” said Dr Pal, adding “The bills since December 14 last year have not been cleared so far”. He said the issue has been taken up with the government.
Here it is relevant to mention that the in-patients are served with breakfast, lunch and dinner besides milk and tea. And, the attendants have always complained about sub-standard food being served by the caterer.
“We keep on testing the food from time to time,” said the Medical Superintendent Dr Pal, when asked about such complaints.
