In Jammu hospitals, all patients get ‘same diet’ irrespective of ailments

‘Dietician Department lying defunct since long’

JAMMU: The patients admitted in the premier hospitals of Jammu region i.e Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), SMGS Hospital, Shalamar, Super Specialty Hospital and the Associated Hospitals are all given similar diet irrespective of the ailment they are suffering from as the Dietician Department at the GMC has been lying defunct since long.

As per medical norms, a dietician decides the kind of diet a patient admitted in the hospital should be given keeping in view his ailment. The diet of a patient is decided once he is admitted in the hospital.

However, strangely, there are no dieticians in the premier hospitals of Jammu region to decide as to what type of diet a particular patient admitted in the hospital should be given keeping in view the nature of the ailment he is suffering from, official sources informed The News now.

“Be it Blood Pressure (BP), be it Sugar, be it heart disease, be it Kidney or liver related ailment, or Jaundice or Thyroid, or any skin disease, all such patients admitted in different hospitals of Jammu get similar diet,” official sources informed.

“As there is no dietician to decide diet of patients, same food is prepared in the hospitals and subsequently given to the patients,” an official said.

When contacted, the Principal, GMC, Jammu, Dr Sunanda Raina said that there the post of dietician is vacant.

“We have recommended the post of dietician to SSRB for filling the vacancy,” the Principal GMC told The News Now.
A senior doctor wishing not to be named said that a diet plays a vital role in the recovery of a patient. “If he or she is not given proper diet i.e the required quantity of proteins, vitamins, minerals, calcium, salt, sugar etc, the condition of a patient may worsen rather than recovering,” the doctor said.

“A diabetic patient requires less quantity of sugar, a patient suffering from high Blood Pressure needs low quantity of salt, a Jaundice patient must be given more quantity of sugar and a patient with kidney related ailment should be given less proteins,” the doctor said, adding, “Similarly, patients with different diseases need different quantity of diet”.

Sources said that there is no check in the hospitals as to what kind of diet be prepared for the patients admitted in different wards.

Similar food is prepared in the hospitals and served to the patients, they said.
Updated On 1/4/2019 11:10:24 AM