The Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu is providing free food services to over a thousand patients and attendants since the nationwide lockdown in August this year. This was to mitigate the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 at the hospital. However, people have been found complaining about the quality of the food provided by the hospital recently.
Frustrated with the quality of the food, some patients and attendants took to social media sharing their dissatisfaction.
However, the medical superintendent of the JDWNRH said the quality and taste of food will be compromised considering the huge number of people they have to cater to and keeping in mind the diet quality.
“Some people won’t like the taste of food that we provide but the nutrition value is much better, that’s what we can say. The other thing is that when you cook for a large number of people there will always be somebody who is not satisfied or happy with the taste of the food,” said Dr Gosar Pemba, the Medical Superintendent with the JDWNRH.
And in view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, he added, the hospital has no other option than to continue the ban on food from outside.
“After the lockdown, we have directives from the government to continue providing food for the patient as well as for the attendant. There are lots of advantages if foods from outside are not brought in. One is, the food that is brought from outside is not consumed by the patient but by the attendant and two is, the patient should have a diet which is prescribed by the dietician,” he added.
During the press brief today, Health Minister Dechen Wangmo says the ministry is receiving a lot of complaints about the food but upon visiting the hospital, it was found that the quality was not that poor. Lyonpo added every meal provided is based on the advice by the dietician with different types of food for different patients:
“We have to give, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and also tea in between. We have to make different food for children, pregnant women, diabetes patient, cancer patient, and patients with NG tube. So they have to cook for about six or seven different groups.”
Lyonpo also said the whole health system would collapse if there is an outbreak in the hospital. Such measures are therefore taken to prevent COVID-19 outbreak in the hospital.
However, things are now expected to improve with the hospital bringing in additional cooks recently.
Sangay Dorji
