Poor quality food irks medicos on duty
LUCKNOW: Poor quality food has upset medical staff on Covid-19 duty at many places in the state.
A chapatti, few pieces of cucumber with daal and vegetable for breakfast, kept in a plate made out of leaves, irked the health staff of Covid-19 level one hospital in Mathura on Saturday morning.
“It’s risky to eat such a food, which has been apparently cooked and packed under unhygienic conditions,” said Provincial Medical Services Association (PMSA) president Sachin Vaish, who heads the body of government doctors.
“Forget nutrition. It can never be ensured with such food. The chief medical officers of the respective districts need to arrange proper food for all healthcare workers, irrespective of their cadre or ranking as proper food will give strength to work more,” said PMSA general secretary Amit Singh.
Not just in Mathura but complaints have come in from other places too. Based on such complaints, the medical health director-general had written to all the chief medical officers on April 7, mentioning names of a few districts such as Moradabad and Sitapur, where poor quality food was being served.
“The chief medical officers of Sitapur and Moradabad should file an explanation,” said the letter from DG Rukum Kesh.
In Sitapur, the breakfast had two slices of bread, tea and there was vegetable and chapatti in lunch and dinner.
In the state capital, the staff of Balrampur Hospital, that has been provided accommodation at a hotel, also complained that they are not being provided proper food. The state government has sanctioned an amount for the accommodation, laundry and food for each medical staff member deployed for coronavirus patients.
The government sanctioned ₹1550 for staff deployed in category A cities, ₹1250 for category B and ₹1000 for category C cities. Also ₹500 per staff per day has been sanctioned for food.
“It’s not the matter of money. If more fund is required, the state government has always provided but the chief medical officers should ensure food is proper for staff members,” said Vaish.HTC