PATIENTS at Limerick’s Midwest Regional Hospital are offered healthy choices and catering staff avoid fried food. Dr Anthony O’Connor, gastroenteologist, St James in Dublin who is calling for a ban on fried food in hospitals, similar to the smoking ban, said: “Healthy food might cost more, but if Jamie Oliver did it for schools, there might be a need for something similar for hospitals”.
Commenting on the issue, a spokesperson for the HSE said: “We make a special effort to encourage healthy eating by patients and staff.
“The menu service for our patients includes meal options such as stew, roast dinners etc. Our evening menus include salads, sandwiches, oven baked goujons, rashers, sausages, beans, eggs etc. The catering staff avoid frying food”.
