Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom on Thursday shared pictures of “watery” food he said was being fed to patients at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital.
PICTURES SUPPLIED BY JACK BLOOM: Food for the ailing at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital
“Patients are again suffering from poor food at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital despite promises of improvement following food shortages earlier this year,” Bloom said Thursday.
“I am getting complaints about very watery food that is unappetizing and lacks variety.
“Yesterday there was mixed vegetables, fish, and spinach for lunch that many patients found inedible.
“Supper was spinach, carrot, mashed potato, and a mystery meat.”
Bloom said the watery food was from the Gauteng Health Department’s Masakhane Cook Freeze Factory.
He added: “In April this year, the then Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi said in a written reply to my questions that there is limited plates/meal variety for each diet code and thus there is a lot of repetition of the meals.
“The factory states that they have supply chain challenges and thus a shortage of stock… the factory also has challenges with faulty equipment, intermittent water, electricity supply, and shortages of staff’.”
Bloom said it was disappointing that there has been no improvement in the food at this major hospital.
“Sick people need good nutrition to assist in their recovery,”‘ Bloom said.
“However, the cook-freeze method is unsuitable for hospital food as it destroys nutrients.
“The hospital should not be forced to use the poorly managed Masakhane Cook Freeze factory.
“The DA advocates value-for-money catering contracts to provide healthy and tasty food for hospital patients.”
Hospital authorities were yet to respond to the criticism.
