Nawaloka Hospitals grabs 5 Crown Award for Food Hygiene
Leading healthcare provider Nawaloka Hospitals had high praise heaped upon the quality and hygiene of its food when it was presented with a prestigious 5 Crown Award for Food Hygiene by Ind-expo Certification Ltd. for the fifth consecutive year.
The hospital chain clinched the first of these awards in 2012 on its very first attempt and has gone on to further strengthen its food storage and preparation practices each subsequent year.
The hospital was handed the award by Ind-expo Certification Ltd. at the Nawaloka Hospital Auditorium.
Ind-expo is a non-profit certification and training organisation, established by the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) and the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), who serve as its principal shareholders. Its awards recognise and certify food safety management systems that align with top international standards. It rates kitchens following a comprehensive audit, which includes awarding points for the maintenance of accurate documentation detailing all processes that occur within the kitchen.
The kitchen at Nawaloka Hospital Colombo is a hive of activity, with it regularly churning out about 300 to 400 meals, thrice a day. To ensure the quality and safety of this large quantity of food, the hospital’s management enforces a stringent set of key performance indicators together with a carefully implemented food safety management system which is scrutinised and fine-tuned each year.
At the helm of this operation is a team of 40 kitchen staff led by Chef
Deshabandu Dr. Mario Alan Gerreyn. The highly-skilled chef possesses more than 30 years of experience and has been with Nawaloka for the past 15 years.
The hospital also inculcates within each staff member a deep appreciation and understanding of the importance of maintaining high standards of personal hygiene.
“We are thrilled to once again receive this distinguished certification. This reflects our dedication and hard work in ensuring the highest standards in food preparation and safety practices. However, we will not rest on our laurels and want to keep raising the bar. That is why management has mapped out several future staff training programmes and continuously refines policies in hygiene and food safety management,” said Chef Gerreyn.
Nawaloka Hospitals Chairman Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa echoed these sentiments, underscoring the importance of maintaining hygiene and food safety at a hospital.
“Ensuring that the food prepared at hospitals is safe and nutritious is a crucial but often times overlooked component of patient treatment and recovery. Contaminated or lowquality food can significantly hamper a patients’ recuperation since their immune systems are likely to be compromised due to their prescribed medication, leaving them vulnerable to any harmful bacteria. This is why we place great emphasis on maintaining global best practices with our food handling and preparation procedures, helping deliver the best possible clinical outcomes to our patients,” said Dr. Dharmadasa.