Hospitals ignore dietary needs of patients

In many branches of alternative medicine, food is seen as nature's medicine. Certain foods are proven to support specific health conditions, while others are known to contribute to common lifestyle diseases. Yet in Karachi's district hospitals, where patients are served generic meals, food has become a source of harm rather than healing.

While globally hospital meals are tailored under expert guidance, in Sindh's public hospitals, patients commonly complain that the food is nutritionally inadequate. Many hospitals provide only one meal a day, and over the past decade, hospital administrations have closed in-house kitchens and outsourced food preparation to private contractors. Previously, hospitals hired kitchen staff to prepare meals, but now 90 per cent rely on contractors who are unaware of patients' individual nutritional needs.

Food budgets in public hospitals are tied to the number of beds, and administrators often try to limit patient admissions to reduce expenses on food and medicines. The Health Department issues tenders for meals, including set menus, after which hospitals award contracts to companies offering the lowest price. Contractors typically prepare food in their own kitchens, though some use hospital kitchens with their staff. No system exists to check meal quality, and food is supplied without guidance from nutrition experts.

Although contractors claim to provide mutton twice a week, fish once, and vegetables and lentils on other days, patients complain that hospital food feels ordinary, lacks nutrition, and is served in a humiliating manner. Meals are delivered in steel trolleys, curries in open buckets, and hygiene standards are ignored, leading many patients to bring food from home. Despite hundreds of millions of rupees being allocated annually for patient meals, complaints remain common.

At Saudabad Hospital, a patient, Muhammad Aslam confirmed that meals were the same for everyone and were sometimes overly spicy, making it unsuitable for his blood pressure. Another patient, Shafiq Ahmed, added that there was no system to monitor food quality or ensure it meets patient needs. Similarly, at Lyari General Hospital, Akhtar Baloch described receiving only lentils and vegetables for four consecutive days, with no consideration of his medical conditions.

Lyari General Hospital has over 300 beds, a meal budget of Rs45 million, a partially outsourced kitchen, no dietitian, and patient occupancy above 50 per cent. Liaquatabad Hospital, with 200 beds, allocates Rs27 million for meals and outsources food through the lowest-bid tender, also without a dietitian. New Karachi Hospital, also 200 beds with a Rs10 million meal budget, and Korangi Hospital, with 200 beds and a Rs40 million budget, follow the same model, and both report 50 to 60 per cent patient occupancy.

In contrast, some larger hospitals maintain more structured food services. Civil Hospital, with a budget of Rs200 million and over 90 per cent patient admissions, prepares meals in-house under a nutritionist's supervision, offering mutton, fish, vegetables, lentils, boiled eggs, and bread. Jinnah Hospital, with 2,000 beds and a Rs200 million budget, operates a scientifically managed kitchen where private dietitians oversee meal preparation, considering high- and low-protein requirements. Although the government dietitian position has remained vacant due to legal issues, private experts ensure proper nutrition for patients, with occupancy rates around 95 per cent.

Despite significant funding, the majority of Karachi's public hospitals struggle to provide adequate, hygienic, and medically appropriate meals. Patients continue to face uniform, low-quality food, often supplied by contractors unfamiliar with individual dietary needs. While a few large hospitals follow professional guidelines under dietitian supervision, the prevailing system in most district hospitals leaves patients dissatisfied, highlighting the urgent need for trained nutritionists, proper kitchens, and quality control to ensure hospital meals meet both health and hygiene standards.