The Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) administration proposes to set up a modern dietary department to cater to more in-patients in the hospital.
According to GRH sources, Director of Medical Education (DME) S. Geethalakshmi during her recent visit to the hospital had instructed the management to identify a site within the premises to establish a spacious kitchen. The existing kitchen is inadequate to prepare food to over 400 in-patients per day at the GRH, said Vanitha, dietician at the department.
The facility would provide food classified as non-restricted diet and restricted diet for the patients as prescribed by the dietician of the respective wards and would be taken to each bed in a trolley. The diet includes idli, rice, bread, a glass of milk, juice and four slices of bread. The food is offered free of cost by the hospital.
The proposed kitchen would have a separate store room for non-perishable and perishable vegetables, a gas room, walk-in refrigerator, boilers, appliances such as dough mixer, cylinder storage room and staff toilets. Presently there are 30 employees attached to the kitchen.
When contacted, Dean B. Santha kumar said a proposal to build a modern kitchen as per the requirements is in the pipeline. “The plan has been forwarded to the Public Works Department officials to work out the cost and estimates,” he added.
The PWD officials will soon inspect the existing kitchen to determine if expansion works can be carried out.
