Tirunelveli MCH admin accused of leaving expectant, new mothers without food
While speaking to pregnant women, currently admitted or recently discharged from TvMCH, several of them also alleged disparity in distribution of food in the wards.
Patients at the TvMCH alleged they raised complaints with the doctors regarding the improper supply of food in vain.
V Karthik Alagu
12 Feb 2024, 9:29 am
TIRUNELVELI: A few of the expectant and new mothers, who are admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), alleged that the hospital administration has not been providing them with proper food, thereby forcing them to spend huge sums (almost equalling the expense one might incur at a private hospital) on purchasing potentially unhygienic food from outside hotels.
While speaking to pregnant women, who are either currently admitted or were recently discharged from TvMCH, several of them also alleged disparity in distribution of food in the wards.
Speaking to TNIE, a new mother said, "Every day, a supplier would bring idli and sambar to the wards in the early hours. Later, around 11 am, he will bring milk, bread, eggs, and bananas, and around 1 pm, he distributes lunch, which includes rice, sambar and a limited amount of vegetable poriyal. However, not all expectant and new mothers, other than those who fight for it with the supplier, receive this food. For instance, I have not received food at the hospital for a single day, in spite of having spent several days here in three different wards, before and after my delivery."
Whereas, another new mother said that she had managed to get two idlis with sambar every morning, and a ladle of meal with sambar in the afternoon before her delivery.
"However, after my C-Section, I could not get food as I was unable to run towards the 'fast-moving' supplier, who always offered the food after scolding me briefly for no reason. Also, I have never got items like eggs, bread or banana, which are usually served to the housekeepers of the hospital, for my meal."
She further alleged that raising complaints with the duty doctors regarding the improper supply of food were in vain.
"My parents had brought me to TvMCH as we did not have enough money to approach a private hospital. Ironically, in TvMCH, my mother spends at least Rs 225 for food daily, as we are forced to buy it from outside hotels. On several days, I had to have only a vada and coffee for breakfast. Some other days, my mother even had to borrow money to purchase food," she rued, adding that the duty doctors never asked her if she was provided with nutritious food during the consultation period.
It may be noted that TvMCH has witnessed a total of 8,238 deliveries in 2021, 7,889 in 2022 and 6,401 in 2023 (till November), as stated in a RTI reply sought by A Veronica Mary, a health activist.
When contacted by TNIE, TvMCH dean Revathy Balan denied all the said allegations and claimed that the administration has been serving food properly to pregnant women and new mothers in the wards.
“Some parents may prefer home-made food like non-veg soup for their children, who are under treatment at our hospital. However, we serve food to all patients as per the menu fixed by the state government. We even take a sample to ensure if the food tastes good or not,” she said.
Meanwhile, an RTI reply given by TvMCH administration to M Sugan Christoper of Melaputhaneri, stated that the hospital has spent Rs 1.87 crore in 2018-19, Rs 1.4 crore in 2019-20, Rs 1.66 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1.58 crore in 2021-22 (till September) to supply food to all the in-patients under treatment.
"Idli and sambar in the morning, milk, egg, bread, banana and orange at 9 am, meal (rice, sambar, buttermilk, keerai, cabbage and poriyal) in the afternoon, milk and sundal at 4 pm, and rava kichadi and bottlegourd poriyal in the night, were supplied to in-patients as on September 13, 2022," the RTI reply from the Public Information Officer of TvMCH read.
No comments:
Post a Comment