Concerned over the matter of hygiene, several nursing staff members working at the Doon Hospital say that the Indira Amma Canteen located in the premier health facility’s vicinity must serve food on disposable plates and bowls in view of a section of the patients having lunch there. This is imperative to stop the germs some of the patients might be carrying with them from spreading to others having lunch there, they say.
Puja Tomar, president of Saraswati Jagriti — a self help group — which is managing the canteen at Doon Hospital, said that the nursing staffers do not generally eat in the canteen. They insist that the canteen must serve them food on utensils that are not used by the patients, she said, adding that they are asking for the disposable plates and bowls for food to be served on.
Asked why they are shunning the State Government-sponsored subsidised canteen where nutritious food is available at easy – on- the- wallet prices, they said almost in unison that they would not have food there unless and until the canteen management serves it on disposable plates and bowls. “We went there for the lunch, but seeing that they are serving food on the plates and bowls the patients are having their lunches on we turned away in fear of being infected. We know that they visit the facility for medical checkups. Maybe, they have some contagious diseases. We cannot take risks,” said one of the nursing staffs while insisting on anonymity.
A doctor attached to the State-run facility said the canteen must be on its guard as far as the hygiene and health of the customers are concerned. “What is the problem in serving food on disposable platesIJ We are ready to pay the extra for them,” he said.
Echoing the same concern, another nurse Uma Sharma who was found eating in the canteen said she was having lunch there with the food being tasty and nutritious aside from being cheap. “But I am concerned too about my health with the food being served to the customers on the same plates despite the fact that many of them happen to be patients. This is what is keeping many of my colleagues off the canteen,” she said.
Even some of the customers who have lunch there vent the same concern. Manoj, a resident of Mothrowala, said he wondered whether the plates were washed rightly in keeping with the norms of hygiene. “The inhibition to having food on the plates used by others is psychological problem too. But the canteen management should address the fear to ensure that the customers have food here without the inhibition regarding hygiene and the like,” he added.
However, another doctor who refused to disclose his name said that in case the plates the food is being served on are washed rightly in boiling water there is hardly any possibility for them retaining anything infectious.
He suggested that the people who are raising objection on the matter had better bring with them their own plates and bowls.
Shivani, one of the members of the Self Help Group engaged in running the canteen, said they would act on the suggestion of having the plates and bowls washed in boiling water to kill the germs if there are any. “If this can addresses the customers’ grievances we would, of course, consider it,” she said.