Eat well to get well!

PATIENTS GIVE THUMBS UP TO DIET PROVIDED AT SINGTAM HOSPITAL
ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 21 Nov: The district hospital at Singtam has mostly been in the news for all the wrong reasons, but now comes so positive feedback from patients and the hospital administration now seems to be getting its act together.
Speaking to NOW! recently, in-patients at Singtam Hospital expressed their satisfaction with the nutrition being provided there.
“I have been at Singtam Hospital with my patient for over two weeks now and the food here is very good. I want to add that we are given cow milk here which is also good since nutrition is important for a patient. The state government is doing a good job and I also want to thank the Chief Minister personally through this paper for setting such high standards,” said Uday from Temi- Tarku who is here with his ailing father.
“We are satisfied and happy that the hospital administration is doing a good job with the diet here. We had heard that there were some problems related to diet here but then when we came here, it was different story. The food here is good and the hospital should keep this up,” adds Kessang Doma from Pendam.  
The five major hospitals in the state have been provided upgraded menus which they are required to strictly follow and officials inform that the staff and outsourced agencies of different hospitals have also improvised on some areas keeping in view the demand of the inpatients and their family members
At Singtam hospital, the Chief Medical Officer and the District Medical Superintendent have initiated a day-to-day basis supervision programme to ensure proper diet for inpatients here.
When NOW! spoke to the CMO, Singtam Hospital, Dr. Tshering Lhaden Bhutia, she informed that the distribution process has been upgraded in the hospital. While stating that initially there were some problems at the hospital, she maintained that involvement and supervision at a personal level has transformed the diet structure and the quality at the hospital.
“We work on a menu that has been sent to us by the department and accordingly we deliver the same to the patients four times a day. Periodic supervision by department officials and our personal intervention to actually taste and see what the patients are receiving has helped us reach such standards in recent days. We wish to work harder and keep this positive attitude and approach towards our patients in the coming days as well,” stated the CMO.
Singtam hospital is also the first hospital to start the implementation of providing 150 grams of rice instead of the recommended 70 grams of rice per meal. The hospital also gives in-patients a choice between chapattis and rice, fish or meat and provision of other alternative items including fruits like apples and oranges on a regular basis and a choice of toast and sandwiches over the regular bread.
Sunflower oil and KRT Basmati rice are being used here along with hygiene measures such as the use of head caps and gloves in the preparation of meals as per the guidelines from the department.
Patients inform that the timings for the distribution of breakfast to dinner are also regular. In fact each day of the week has a different menu as recommended by the concerned dietitian.
Similarly, the DMS, Dr. Rita Gautam informed that the hospital keeps a check on what the dietitian has prescribed and regularly speaks to the patients on what their requirements are. She states that this routine is followed on a day-to-day basis and in the process the quality of the diet at the hospital has been enhanced.
“We speak directly to the patients during our daily rounds and also see what the patients are receiving. We follow the diet chart and make sure if the same is being followed. The dietitian also comes to the hospital for routine supervision hence the quality has been maintained,” she mentions.