The Orissa High Court has directed the State Government to constitute a team to study the standardised dietary service in public hospitals with well-equipped modern kitchens so that a clean, hygienic, and balanced diet can be delivered to the patients visiting the hospitals.
A Division Bench of the High Court sought the implementation of the technical and operational guidelines-2022, framed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Bench asked the State’s health Secretary and Superintendent SCB Medical College & Hospital (SCBMCH) to suggest as to how in the SCBMCH, Cuttack as well as other Government hospitals, a well-planned infrastructure can be provided, infection preventive measures can be taken, protocols and process for preparation and distribution of cooked diet in a systematic way simultaneously ensuring quality can be maintained and submit a report in that respect.
Since the kitchen facility available in SCBMCH, Cuttack has been outsourced, overall monitoring and supervision are required to be done by hospital personnel, the Court observed in the order pronounced on 10 September.
Since different dietary norms are to be followed for different categories of patients, the role of a dietician is very much relevant, the Court ruled, suggesting that adequacy of diet and hygienic measures are required to be taken at the time of food preparation and also while serving the food to the patients.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare of the State Government taking into account the continuing concern over the lack of attention to the nutritional needs of indoor patients, commissioned a technical and management support team to assess the prevailing dietary practices in public health institutions and to identify areas of improvement, the State’s Health Secretary informed the Court in an affidavit.
Emphasis was laid, inter alia, on formation of diet vigilance Committee to monitor and supervise overall diet management process and quality assurance system, the affidavit stated.
It is also stated that facilities at the kitchens need to be improved along with hygienic practices and each kitchen should have separate storage and cooking facilities along with provision of a food preservation system.
The Department has also issued guidelines for diet management in public health institutions wherein the role of dietician/nutritionist, sanitary measures, store and stock, cleanliness of kitchen staff, dishes/utensils, food handling have been highlighted.
The Division Bench directed the Health Secretary and Medical Superintendent of SCBMCH, Cuttack to file a detailed affidavit regarding the hygienic measures taken during preparation and distribution of diet to the indoor patients, monitoring of the diet preparation, adequacy of diet to the patients, diet serving procedure, and also to suggest the areas of improvement in dietary service.
The matter was posted for further hearing on 6 November.