Pandemic highlights value of sourcing local food for new hospital
I AM interested to know what plans developers have for food service for the new Dunedin Hospital.
In 2015, the Southern District Health Board signed a 15year contract with British company Compass Group to provide food for patients, staff and Meals on Wheels.
This preparation takes place in Auckland, where the food for Meals on Wheels is prepared and frozen for delivery and the rest is more fully prepared, requiring only ‘‘regeneration’’ (reheating and reapportioning) on arrival in Dunedin by truck. Projected savings at the time of signing this contract were estimated to be $7 million over 15 years.
I would be interested to know if this relatively minor saving has come to pass. Also, given New Zealand’s history of large earthquakes, and an increasing number of extreme weather events which often close many of our arterial routes for significant periods of time, what plan can possibly be made to ensure the transportation of vital food for a sick population from one end of the country to the other?
In this time of Covid19 and the disruption to much of our way of life, it makes good sense to source food, and the expertise to prepare, cook and distribute it, locally, both for ourselves and our hospital patients. Maybe it has taken Covid19 to remind us of this and it should not be ignored.
To many of us, the original decision was foolish and foolhardy with minimal savings. Let’s not squander our chance to change this.
It is imperative that the new Dunedin
Hospital, from both a nutritional and logistical point of view, has its own kitchen, local staff to carry out the full cooking process and a locally sourced food supply. If not, and should disaster strike, are we residents going to be implored to provide this hospital population with soup?
Annette Riley
Belleknowes [Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson replies:
‘‘The new hospital will be equipped with kitchen space sufficient to meet the needs of both patients and staff.’’]
Council budget
MAYOR Hawkins: “don’t see the value in us going through a process where we significantly reconfigure what it is that we offer our community” (ODT 1.5.20).
He and Cr BensonPope want the
$60 million George StExchange ‘‘surface treatments’’ project to proceed and the DCC preCovid budget to mostly continue in blind ignorance of the economic world that has suddenly vastly contracted, along with Dunedin citizens’ ability to pay rates and council companies’ ability to pay dividends. We can do it on “increased debt” Mr Hawkins says, proving his total lack of business understanding and the weakness in our already budgeted billions DCC group debt.
Cr Lee Vandervis
Dunedin .....................................
BIBLE READING: Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. — Job 28:28.