"Food provided by the National Hospital cannot be put in the mouth": Patients-Staff say

Staff of the Colombo National Hospital complain that the food provided to them is too boring to eat.

According to internal sources,reports that in the face of the current economic and fuel crisis, meat has been removed from the diet of inpatients for several weeks and a piece of fish has not been included in the diet of inpatients and junior staff for several weeks. 

Due to the shortage of milk powder and the increase in prices, the supply of milk tea to inpatients has been stopped for several months and these days only one infusion is given per day, said a junior staff member who works there.

The food they were given was too boring to eat, they said, “they can't be eaten. Like water and rice. Most people do not like to eat, ”he said.

A staff member of the National Hospital said in a query that inpatients were given rice with amberella and cucumber fish for lunch the day before yesterday (June 20).

He also said that the junior staff members were given an amberla curry with rice that day.

He also said that yesterday (June 21) breakfast was served with a dhal curry and rice cooked with white raw rice.

He also said that lunch was served with a cucumber curry with rice and a mango fish.

He added that the meal did not include meat, fish, dried fish or sprats in any way and that it was a purely vegetarian meal.

Even if one or two curries are given, it can be eaten if it is at an edible level, but patients complain that giving such boring food causes food wastage.

Due to the current fuel shortage and the economic crisis, the families and relatives of the patients who are being treated at the National Hospital have been restricted from visiting them. According to its internal sources, it has become difficult.

The hospital staff also allege that the special diet for in-patients with diabetes, kidney disease, protein requirements and high blood pressure has been discontinued.

The Director of the National Hospital, Dr.W. K. Wickramasinghe, he stated that there may be deficiencies in the diet provided by the National Hospital.

"Some things are flawed," he said, stressing that efforts are being made to minimize those shortcomings and provide food.