MEDICAL MEALS
Why hospital food leaves a bad taste
When patients don’t eat enough of the right foods, hospital stays lengthen, there’s a greater chance of hospital-acquired malnutrition and mortality risk rises
12 January 2023 - 05:00
More than half of the patients admitted to public hospitals are undernourished. But if the well-nourished minority stay long enough, there’s a good chance they’ll be malnourished by the time they’re discharged.
It’s not just that they don’t get enough food — way below the health department “ration scale” and patients’ energy requirements, according to a study of meals served at three Cape Town hospitals. ..
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