Hospital serves fry to pregnant woman with high blood pressure
A PREGNANT woman admitted to hospital with high blood pressure has told how she was presented with a plate of chips, bacon and sausages while receiving treatment.
Disgruntled father-to-be Neil Ferguson tweeted a picture of the ‘inedible’ food served to his wife Eileen, who is 37 weeks’ pregnant, in Cork University Maternity Hospital.
His wife explained yesterday that she had been admitted for the second time in a week due to high blood pressure.
She was dismayed, however, to be served the meal of bacon, sausages and chips.
According to most health advice, it is recommended that people suffering from high blood pressure limit their intake of foods that are high in fat and salt.
‘There was no way. I couldn’t eat it,’ Ms Ferguson said. ‘I did try to eat it but it was beyond edible at that stage. I just said I wasn’t going to eat it.’
The hospital operates a system where patients can indicate their menu choices for the following day. As she had been admitted that day, Ms Ferguson had not had the opportunity to make the choice. Noting that the hospital staff had been ‘fantastic’, Ms Ferguson told RTÉ Radio’s Today With Seán O’Rourke that the meal went against HSE healthy eating guidelines.
She said: ‘The HSE are constantly on at us at home to eat healthy and combat obesity and diabetes and heart disease. You go into hospital, sick – and this is what’s put in front of you… it’s not going to help your recovery.’
Pastry chef Mr Ferguson said he was shocked when his wife sent him a picture of the food.
‘More nutritional food should offered and this shouldn’t be on the menu,’ he said.
A spokesman for Cork University Maternity Hospital yesterday said it offers patients a balanced nutritional menu.