DIABETES DIET

The department of Nutrition and Dietetics is recognized as an essential and vital part of the hospital and dietitians / diabetes educators are accepted as a vital link in the Para-medical team of the hospital. The nutrition department with 3 D’s – Dietary service, Diet counselling and Diet analysis contribute significantly to the control of Diabetes and thus in preventing complications. In addition to the obvious function of providing for the nutritional needs such a program is an adjunct to therapy. It has direct influences on the morale and attitudes of patients and their families.



With broad policies and procedures the dietitian / diabetes educators undertakes the responsibility of educating the patient, collecting the medical history details, counselling the patient, analyzing the dietary food intake, reviewing the patient about medication and diet, taking diet orders, teaching patients about the insulin techniques, insulin pump and home monitoring of blood glucose, demonstration of kits, conducting patient education programme to create awareness about diabetes among the patients and attendants and group therapy for type 1 patients on second Saturday of every month as well as group therapy programme for Inpatients using Conversation Map once a week. He / she is also responsible for planning, organizing, operating and controlling the dietary service.

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in this hospital is organized and managed by the Head and senior Manger N&D department who is a registered Dietitian. Dietitians / diabetes educators work both in the outpatient and In-patient department of this hospital.

This department is also responsible for the efficient and effective administration of training the dietitian / diabetes educators, the scientific diets of patients and patient counselling on a continuous basis. Co-ordination of this service with the total hospital operation is the dual responsibility of the administrator and the dietitians / diabetes educators. The head of the department plans the menu on a cyclic basis, changed every 6 months to meet therapeutic patient’s diets and to meet specific requirements. The recipes for the planned menu are standardized and portion size pre-determined according to the policy of the establishment as well as to meet optimum nutritional requirements. After the physician has made his diagnosis and established the parameters for the diet, the dietitian / diabetes educators takes over and plans a diet suitable to the patient after studying the social, cultural and economic background, based on individual likes and dislikes but still within the parameters laid down. To conclude dietitians / diabetes educators take care of the patients throughout their stay in hospital starting from medical history to a medical file with a dietary prescription.