Rising food prices hit Goa Medical College patients

Rising food prices hit GMC patients
Preetu Nair, TNN

PANAJI: Rising food prices, coupled with the state’s seeming apathy, are taking a direct toll on the dietary intake of patients at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.

The state sanctions Rs 22 per patient per day—a sum, GMC officials say, is too meagre to supply patients with three big and two small nutritious meals. A proposal to up the amount to Rs 45 per patient per day has been pending with the government since the last three years, they add.

Health minister Vishwajit Rane told TOI he would take up the matter with the government, and added that the proposed amount is not enough either. “I have studied the issue, and with the present rise in food prices we need to increase the sanction from Rs 22 to Rs 75 to ensure that we provide nutritious food to patients.” He added that a new proposal would be made to the government soon.

Incidentally, in a recent move, the state upped the sanction to Rs 50 per patient per day for those institutes under the Directorate of Health Services. Confirming the move, director, Dr Rajnanda Desai, said, “We received a fresh order from the government about a week ago hiking the amount per patient per day to Rs 50.” The move is expected to benefit the in-patients at the two district hospitals and primary and community health centres.

Meanwhile, at GMC, the patients’ menu has undergone a drastic change over the last three years. While chicken, juice and fruits, except for banana, have been taken off the menu, the daily dose of fish-curry rice and a boiled egg have been allotted a thrice-weekly appearance. Bananas, point out doctors, are not advisable for diabetics. They add that till last year, such patients were given a sweet lime each. Hospital sources add that food quantity too has been reduced.

“We get rice from the civil supplies department. Everything else—milk, vegetables, eggs and fish—is purchased at market rates. Moreover, we feed about 1,000 plus in-patients everyday,” say hospital sources.

Pointing out that food is not simply a cost issue but also a “prevention-and-treatment matter”, GMC officials say, “On an average, a patient requires 2,000 Kcal and between 50 and 60 gram of protein everyday. With the present menu, though we meet the calorie requirement, we fall short on the protein content.”

Medical superintendent Dr Rajan Kunkolienkar says, “Patients have to be given a balanced diet. But with the present budget and with the increase in food prices, giving a balanced diet to the patient is difficult.”

16 August, 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition