Telangana: Hospital Diet System Gets Complete Overhaul
The revised dietary menu caters to a wide range of needs, including regular patients, tribal inpatients and their attendants, TB and mental health patients, pregnant women, children, and patients with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disorders. It also accounts for those requiring semi-solid, liquid, or high-protein diets.
Hyderabad: In a major overhaul the diet management system across government hospitals, the Health Department has announced the termination of all existing dietary service contracts. Fresh tenders will soon be invited at revised rates, with a push to involve women-led self-help groups such as Mahila Samakhya in providing these services.
As part of the overhaul, diet charges have been substantially increased for various categories of patients and duty doctors in all government hospitals and health centres under the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department. For tribal patients and their attendants, the rate has doubled from Rs 40 to Rs 80 per day. In the case of TB, mental health, and therapeutic inpatients, the rate has been raised from Rs 56 to Rs 112. Duty doctors will now receive Rs 160 per day, up from the earlier Rs 80.
The Director of Medical Education and the Commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) have been instructed to issue one-month termination notices to current contractors. District Diet Management Committees (DDMCs) will be responsible for issuing new tenders for each hospital. These committees also have the authority to terminate contracts with a three-month notice in case of irregularities or poor service.
Additionally, every hospital will establish a Hospital Diet Management Committee (HDMC), which will include hospital doctors and junior doctor representatives. These committees will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of clean, nutritious, and balanced meals to patients, with strict monitoring of both quality and quantity. All food must comply with the Food Safety Act and the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and its rules.
The revised dietary menu caters to a wide range of needs, including regular patients, tribal inpatients and their attendants, TB and mental health patients, pregnant women, children, and patients with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disorders. It also accounts for those requiring semi-solid, liquid, or high-protein diets.
As per the new nutritional guidelines, male patients will receive meals providing 2,473 kilocalories daily, including 445.7 grams of carbohydrates, 73.5 grams of protein, and 49.1 grams of fat. Female patients will receive 2,230 kilocalories, comprising 381.3 grams of carbohydrates, 70.6 grams of protein, and 46.3 grams of fat.
