Doon hospital's traditional food plan hits roadblock

The plan of Doon hospital administration to provide traditional food to its in-house patients appears to have run into rough weather with the contractor entrusted with supplying food expressing  inability to provide the food at the existing rates.The State Government in order to promote traditional foods and help local farmers had recently asked the government hospitals of the State to serve dishes made from local pulses and food grains to the patients. 

State Government has decided to serve traditional foods like Kheer made up of Jhangora, chapattis of Mandawa (finger millet) and Dal of black Bhatts (soyabeans) in the food plate of the in house patients. The patients also relished the taste of food items like Jhangora ki kheer (provided once a week) and mandwa ki roti (daily). 

However the contractor supplying food to the patients has written a letter to the hospital administration expressing his inability to provide the traditional delicacies at existing prices. The admitted patients of the hospital are served breakfast, lunch and dinner by the hospital. As per the agreement with the contractor for the year 2014/15, breakfast would consist of bread with butter and milk while four chapattis, rice (100 gms), Dal (1 bowl), raita ( 1 bowl), green vegetables and seasonal fruit (one time a day) would comprise of lunch and dinner. 

The hospital authorities pay `24 for one breakfast and `36 per diet (dinner and lunch) to the contractor.The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon hospital Dr R S Aswal confirmed receiving the letter from the contractor. He said that the issue would be discussed in the next meeting of the hospital management committee and till then the traditional food would be provided to the patients as per the directions.