DK DC orders fish for patients at Wenlock Hospital

DK DC orders fish for patients at Wenlock Hospital

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 30, 2016: DK DC Adoor.B. Ibrahim has asked Superintendent of Wenlock Hospital Dr. H. Rajeshwaridevi to start providing fish in meals given to patients at the hospital.

DC Ibrahim raised the issue during the meeting of Aarogya Raksha Samiti of the hospital chaired by district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai. DC Ibrahim said that Dr. Rajeshwaridevi had stopped providing patients with fish after assuming charge in 2013.

For many in the costal region, fish was a staple diet, he said. When the Government Lady Goschen Hospital and government hospitals in Puttur and Bantwal were providing fish, what prevented the authorities of Wenlock Hosptial from providing it to their patients, he asked.

Dr. Rajeshwaridevi said fish was being provided to patients when the hospital was under the Department of Medical Education (DME) and it was getting good funds. Since moving from the DME to Department of Health and Family Welfare, grants to the hospital had been drastically cut and they were having difficulty in meeting even the day-to-day expenses.

Further, Dr. Rajeshwaridevi said the Department of Health and Family Welfare has clearly said patients need to be given nutritious food and that there will be objections from the Department of Health and Family Welfare for providing fish. She said the “Bangude” and “Bhootayi” fish do not have any nutritious value. She said patients coming to the hospital are mostly from neighbouring districts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Davangere and Hassan and they would not want fish.

DK DC  Ibrahim said fish does contain nutritious value. He said correction should be made in the food tender that has been called and fish should be provided from next month. Dr. Rajeshwaridevi said it was difficult to provide it from June as they have already floated the food tender. She said a proposal can be made by the DK DC  to the Health and Family Welfare Department seeking clearance for floating tender for buying fish.