NCRHA: Covid19 patients given proper meals

The North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) is dismissing claims that covid19 patients at Couva Hospital are receiving insufficient and nutritionally deficient meals.

In a "live" video on Facebook on Tuesday, leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, Watson Duke, played a recording of an alleged covid19 patient complaining about the quarantine facility. He also called on the Government to shut down the country for one month.

The “patient” complained that there were no basic amenities or proper care for special-needs patients and that those with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes were not being given proper meals. But the NCRHA said that since the first week covid19 patients were brought to the facility, its regular menu was updated.

In a release on Friday, NCRHA CEO, Davlin Thomas, said the association’s “primary concern” is good nutrition, and provided menus of the meals patients were given over the past two weeks.

“We acknowledged very early that our basic short-stay hospital menus would not cut it for the long-stay patients at Couva and Caura Facilities. That was more than two weeks ago.

“The meals are well-balanced and well prepared. According to each patient’s health needs, the general ages of the patients, particularly our cruise ship guests (over 60 years of age), implied co-morbidities (heart disease, diabetes etc).”

The menus showed breakfast dishes such as scrambled eggs, hops bread, vegetables and juice or tea, and sliced bread with options of pumpkin choka and soya chunks. Lunches included vegetable rice, callaloo, red beans, barbeque chicken, tossed salad, steamed rice, dhal, salad and curried fish.

And the dinner options included cheese paste sandwiches, sliced bread with fish patties, among other dishes. He said the Supermarket Association and Persad's D’ Food King have been assisting with providing free meals to patients and staff. “So there is no question of improper or insufficient food at the Couva facility,” he said.

He added that the association also cares about the mental well-being of staff and patients, which has led it to hire a traumatologist and to set up hotlines to assist with stress management. The programme will be headed by Professor of Psychology Gerard Hutchinson.

Professor Hutchinson said people must understand that in addition to the frustration of having the virus, some of the patients have underlying mental issues.

“Some people don’t realise they are claustrophobic until they are placed in that quarantine situation. Even something as simple as having to wear a mask, or the thought of being locked away can lead to irrational behavior. It is a reaction to the frustration, to the fear of having the disease and the uncertainty of going forward.”