COVID-19 isolation wards needn't be scary: Here's what's on the menu of two hospitals

Along with the morning breakfast, all patients at the hospitals are also given a copy of the day’s newspaper.

Coronavirus Coronavirus

The Kerala government has been providing free meal trays to the people who have been put up in isolation wards at Kalamassery Medical College in Ernakulam.

On Tuesday, the Indian patients in isolation were given dosa, boiled egg, tea and oranges while foreign nationals were served toasted bread, omelette without onion, soup, and fruit juice. Along with the morning breakfast, the patients are also given a newspaper.

Breakfast tray for isolated patients at Kalamassery Medical College. A Hindu newspaper along with the food.



Breakfast today:

Dosa, sambar, 2 eggs , 2 oranges, tea, 1L mineral water pic.twitter.com/jzAZ3eaY8b March 17, 2020

Tuesday’s menu for Indian patients in isolation:

7.30 am (Breakfast): Dosa, sambar, 2 eggs, 2 oranges, tea, 1-litre mineral water

10:30 am: Fruit juice

12:00 pm (Lunch): 2 chapatis, rice, fish fry, thoran, curry, curd, 1-litre mineral water

3:30 pm: Tea, biscuits/banana fry/vada

7:00 pm (Dinner): Appam, veg stew, 2 bananas, 1L mineral water

Tuesday’s menu for foreign nationals:

7.30 am (Breakfast): Soup, fruits (raw cucumber, orange or banana), 2 boiled eggs

11:00 am: Pineapple juice

12:00 pm (Lunch): Toasted bread, cheese (if needed) fruits

4:00 pm: Fruit juice

7 pm (Dinner): Toasted bread, scrambled eggs, fruits

Milk for children will also be provided to those who need it, officials say.

The food is being arranged from the hostel mess of Kalamassery Medical College and is being arranged by the Department of Information and Public Relations in Kerala. A total of 30 people have been isolated at hospitals in Ernakulam. While 23 people are in Kalamassery Medical College, seven are at Muvattupuzha General Hospital. The expenses of the accommodation and the food of the patients are being borne by the Kerala Health Department. Though there have been complaints from relatives of patients in many parts of India regarding unhygienic conditions in the wards, government hospitals providing such facilities is an example to emulate.

Three more cases of coronavirus were reported from the state on Monday evening, taking the total number of cases in the state to 24. The state government told the media that around 12,740 people are currently under observation, out of which 270 people are in hospitals. A total of 72 people were admitted to hospital on Monday for observation. Out of a total 2,297 samples sent for testing, 1,693 samples have come back negative.

In Bengaluru, too, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, where COVID-19 patients are being isolated, is providing patients with rice, curry, ragi balls, eggs, curd and a banana for their afternoon meals.