I was very glad someone from your newspaper
commented on the awful food in our hospitals.This has been
going on for years.
I certainly can give my own opinion since by
husband was a patient for 2 1/2 months - six weeks at the St.
Joseph's site and the rest in rehabilitation.
Many times I received a phone call to bring
food to the hospital since what they served him was not
edible.
A few examples of the terrible food include
cold, soggy toast, dishwater coffee, cold, gluey cereal and
cold soup. As well, the sausage for the main course was hard as
rock, and the vegetables were only half-cooked. One patient
next to my husband got one cold potato that had not been cooked
at all.
To be fair, the rice pudding was OK, and so
was some of the soup and Jello.
My husband could not walk at the time and
when he asked the delivery person for help to bring the tray
closer, he was told "it's not my job, call the nurse." However,
the nurse had gone for supper and my husband did not eat that
night.
Most of the food is catered from Ottawa and
is heated and then reheated from one hospital to the next. By
the time it gets to Sudbury, it is often not edible. I'm glad
there are some changes coming, but as long as money comes
before patients' welfare, there is not much hope.
Andree Ethier
Sudbury