The people of this country are paying for a very critical time with many economic hardships. People are in a very difficult situation due to the unaffordable rise in the prices of many commodities and the shortage of certain liquids. Meanwhile, the shortage of many medicines and medical devices is severe.
In the face of this crisis in the country, the fate of the junior staff of the hospital, including the patients who are being treated at the hospital, is also tragic. Due to the scarcity of many foods, the nutritious foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and lentils that were routinely served to inpatients were completely lost. For weeks the rice provided by some hospitals did not contain a single piece of fish or egg.
Instead of the usual morning tea, only hot water is served today. Patients receiving inpatient treatment should keep their own management and make their own glass of tea. Although residents are given one permit by the hospital to visit their patients, it is difficult for residents to come to the hospital to see some of the patients who are being treated in hospitals. There are also patients coming from distant villages to Colombo Castle Hospital, Colombo National Hospital, Maharagama Hope Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital. Although their residents wanted to visit Colombo daily to see their patients, they were reluctant to do so despite the current crisis in the country. Therefore, patients in their families have to take only the rice provided by the hospital. Meanwhile, there are patients who receive inpatient treatment for days and weeks.
Many government hospitals these days offer rice pudding with two vegetables. Coconut sambol with red rice is served for breakfast every day for two to three weeks. Occasionally gives a day cowpea. Breastfeeding mothers, expectant mothers, and infants should be given a nutritious meal, but this diet does not provide such nutrition. Although their family members need to visit their patients daily or for days at a time, they are not able to come from distant villages on a daily basis. Due to the occasional curfew in the country and the lack of fuel for driving, they are unable to visit patients at the hospital. Accordingly, the patients in the hospitals in this country are helpless.
Food and beverages are provided to government hospitals by calling for tenders. Wickramaratne Pvt. Ltd. has won the tender to supply food and beverages to many government hospitals this year.
This time Wickramaratne was selected as the caterer. They have been given a list of food and beverages to be provided by the hospital. We provide this list when the tender is called. We need to provide food not only for our hospitals but also for our junior staff. We make the list to suit everyone. Several companies had quoted prices that fit the list. A sum of money has been allocated from the Ministry of Health for the food and beverages of the National Hospital. That amount should be in line with the amount finally agreed upon in the tender. In the end, Wickramaratne won the tender this time according to those prices, ”said a spokesman for the Colombo National Hospital.
But something unexpected happened. Although food and beverages were provided as usual for a period of time, the prices of all commodities have skyrocketed in the last two to three months. Some of the items on the list were missing. There is also a shortage of substances, especially milk powder. Due to this, the suppliers who supply food to hospitals, including Wickramaratne, are facing a major crisis due to tender bids. Food and beverages are provided to most hospitals in Sri Lanka by Wickramaratne. Meanwhile, two or three hospitals have been awarded the tender to other institutions, but their condition is the same. Because of this, they are asking for more prices to be given to junior staff, including patients, who fit the list. But the Ministry of Health still does not have the money to pay that amount.
However, in the midst of this danger, Wickramaratne provides food and drink to the junior staff, including patients.
Wickramaratne Pvt. Ltd. supplies food not only to hospitals but also to many army camps. For a long time, the company provided food and beverages to hospitals in accordance with the list mentioned in the tender. Today, however, patients receiving inpatient treatment do not receive a nutritious meal. In the face of the current crisis in the country, it is the innocent helpless patients in this country who are helpless.
The list given in the tender is in a situation where we can not give it even with the current situation in this country. We have made a request to the Ministry of Health in this regard. We informed them about this at a meeting last week. We hope to receive a written notice of the price increase soon. Then very soon we will provide the necessary food and drink. We hope that the Ministry of Health will give permission to increase prices according to the current market, ”said Madura Wickram
No comments:
Post a Comment