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• NUTRITIONAL CARE OF PATIENTS

• FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT

• INTERNSHIP TRAINING

• ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

• RESEARCH

• INSTITUTE HOSPITALITY

• UPCOMING ACTIVITES

PICTURE GALLERY

The department started functioning on 25^th May, 1996 from Level V, Block A to provide OPD services as well as diets for a handful of indoor patients. The canteen premises doubled as the patients’ kitchen also. The indoor strength increased gradually to 250 patients per day in the year 2000 and the department was providing normal and therapeutic diets to about 500 patients per day by the end of the year 2003. After the commissioning of Block C in 2004, the department started operating from its designated area at Level I. The kitchen which houses modern state of the art equipment is worker-friendly with an efficient exhaust and fresh air system which is not installed any where else in a government set-up in this region. It has ample storage area for dry ration items which are stacked as if in a departmental store. It also has a walk-in cold store for storing fresh vegetables, fruits and dairy products. The department is presently catering to about 600 patients in general and private wards.

CHIEF DIETICIAN(Officiating)

NUTRITIONAL CARE OF PATIENTS

i) Warded Patients: The Department of Dietetics provides normal (63%), modified (17%) and therapeutic (20%) diets to about 600 general and private ward patients in Block A and Block C. Each Junior Dietician has been entrusted with the care of approximately 80 to 90 patients in 4 to 5 wards. A careful dietary history of each admitted patients is taken, this blood parameters are reviewed to assess his/her nutritional status and diet is provided as per the recommendations of the treating doctor. Extensive ward rounds are undertaken for this purpose and later to check the compliance with the prescribed diet and /or to carry out any modifications as per requirements of the patients. Chief Dietician/Dietician conduct master ward rounds daily with Junior Dieticians and interns for supervision and intervention wherever required. 

All the warded patients on therapeutic diets/feeds are given diet charts bearing detailed dietary instructions to be followed at home at the time of discharge. Follow up of these patients is done at the O.P.D diet clinic. 

ii) O.P.D. Diet Clinic: The O.P.D patients referred from various OPDs viz., Medicine, Surgery. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics etc. are given counseling in the Diet clinic at Room No. 1403, Level I, Block B. The OPD timings are from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.  The patients coming for diet counseling at times other than above are attended to at the Department of Dietetics, Level I, Block C. 

 iii) Diabetic Foot Care Clinic: The Diabetic Foot Care Clinic held on every Friday of the month in the
department of Dietetics. The dieticians provide diet counseling to diabetic patients. Each patient is given individualized diet chart as per his disease condition, blood parameters, previous diet history, cultural and socio-economic background. Lectures on diabetes are delivered.
                                                                                                    

FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT

 Diet is compulsory for all warded patients. The patient’s kitchen is being managed on contractual basis.The contractor is responsible for arranging raw material, fuel gas, manpower, cooking utensils and serviettes as per the recommendation of the institute while major equipment is provided by the hospital. The meals are prepared and served as per the daily instructions given by the dieticians who maintain a strict check on the quality of food and the services provided. A fortnightly cyclic menu is followed to provide variety in diet. Between 5 to 8 services per day are provided based on the kind of diet required and whether the patient is admitted in general or private ward.

The diets are prepared at the central kitchen situated at Level I, Block C and are provided at the patient’s bedside through 37 pantries. All therapeutic diets are served in labeled insulated tiffin carriers. Enteral nutrition is provided for the critically ill patients who cannot be fed orally. All therapeutic feeds for such patients are provided in labeled individual leak proof food grade plastic tumblers. Distribution of food is checked on regular basis. The diet charges per patient per day are Rs. 50/- for general ward and Rs. 85/- for private ward. Facility exists for general ward patients to opt for private ward diet if they so desire. 

INTERNSHIP TRAINING

i) Internship Training as a Part of Post Graduation: Every year the department provides internship training between 15^th June to 14^th September to 9 students of PG Diploma in Dietetics and 3 students of M.Sc Foods & Nutrition from Govt. Home Science College, Chandigarh as well as to 6, 4 and 2 students each from colleges within Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh respectively. The deadline for receiving applications from the Principals of the Colleges is 14^th May each year. The selection of candidates is strictly on the basis of merit.

ii) Short Term Attachment Training: Besides internship training, Short Term Attachment (STA) training for a period of six months is allowed for sixteen postgraduate candidates in two batches of eight per year from anywhere in India.  The selection, again, is strictly on the basis of merit. The candidates apply directly to GMCH on prescribed application form, which can be downloaded from the website. Copies of mark sheets of the qualifying examination, B.Sc degree and B.Sc final year mark sheet plus a draft for a sum of Rs. two hundred only (Rs. 200/-) in favour of Director Principal, GMCH payable at Chandigarh are required to be attached. Last date for receipt of applications is 10^th September for Batch I and 25^th November for Batch II. Certificate for STA training is not awarded to any candidate who fails to complete the entire six month period for whatever reasons. The department has trained 168 students till date (Feb., 2009).

iii) Fee Structure

A sum of Rs.  seven hundred (Rs.700/-) per month is charged for providing internship training as per the instructions of  the department of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh.  Students are required to deposit Rs. five hundred (Rs. 500/-) as security which is refundable after the completion of training.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Programmes/CMEs Organized

RESEARCH

The department has completed three non-funded research projects, the findings of which have been presented at national and international conferences. 

PAPERS PRESENTED

International Conferences    

1. Arora M., atteded the 20th World Diebetes Congress held at Montreal, Canada from 18th October to 22nd October 2009.

 National Conferences 

1. Arora M., 1994. Pediatric Nutrition. In XXVII Annual National Conference of Indian Dietetic Association, PGIMER, Chandigarh  (December 1-2) 
2. Arora M., 2002. Maintenance of continuity of the gastro intestinal tract in the stoma patients. In XXXV Annual National Conference of Indian Dietetic Association, Bangalore (March 14-15) Received A.N. Radha  Award for  above paper at the conference. 
3. Benipal R., Luthra N., 2004. Body Mass Index and dietary habits of children with mental retardation. In XXXI Annual National Conference of Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh (February 27-29). 
4. Arora M., attended workshop on train the trainer held for registered dieticians organgised by IDA, Delhi Chapter at AIIMS, New Delhi on 1st September 2009.
5. Arora M. 2009,  attended  the 42nd Annual National Conference held at  Lucknow on 12th and13th December and presented a paper on "Evaluation of behaviour, lifestyle  and Dietary patterns of a  patient with Diabetic foot leading   to foot complications.
6. Ms. Madhu Arora delivered a lecture on Dietary Management on Diabeties in the Nurses Week Celebration held at GMCH on  14-06-2010.    

 List of Publications in Journals

1.        Mathur M, Sodhi M. Dietetic management of hypertension. . Current Medical Journal-North Zone, 1999; 4 (11): 55-59.

2.        Mathur M, Sodhi M, Bhatia R. Diet in Diabetes Mellitus. Current Medical Journal-North Zone, 2000; 6(4): 12-18.

3.        Mathur M, Benipal R, Mullick S. Mushrooms.  Current Medical Journal-North Zone, 2001; 7(4): 61-65.

4.        Mathur M., Arora M., Vitamin D (Calciferols). Current Medical Journal-North Zone, 2002; 7(12): 67-70.

5.        Benipal R, Luthra N 2008. Diet evaluation of subjects in the thesis ‘Evaluation’ submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of M.Sc. (Physiology).

6.        ‘Evaluation of serum calcium and vitamin D status and alterations in response to supplementation of calcium and vitamin D in pregnant women’ by Anand D. August 2008.

International Communicated Papers

1. Mathur M, Bhatia R, Mullick S, Lehl S.S. Physical activity and blood glucose levels in  diabetics. In Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, U.K. 

2. Gupta M, Sodhi L, Sharma S, Arora M. Assessment of Obesity, a comparison of various indices. In journal of Human Biology, U.K. 

3. Sodhi L., Arora M., Sharma S.  Effectiveness of Slimming therapies in reducing obesity. A preliminary case study report, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Lectures delivered by Ms. Madhu Arora, Chief Dietician

1. Ms. Madhu Arora delivered a lecture on Type I Diabetes in Art Gallery Museum, Sector 10, Chandigarh on 28^th June 2009.
2. Ms. Madhu Arora delivered a lecture on Dietary Management on Diabetes in the Nurses Week Celebration held at GMCH on  14-06-2010.
3. Ms. Madhu Arora delivered a talk on "Balanced Nutrition" to the school children of Sacred Heart school, Sec.26 on 20-08-2010.
4. Attended a Seminar on Nutrition organized by Nestle Food at Piccadily Hotel, Sector 22, Chandigarh  on 22-09-10.
5. Delivered lecture on junk foods and healthy eating to the student of DAV School, Sector 15
6. As judge in the Euphoria for the Face painting.
7. Delivered Lecture on UT Coaching.
8. Lecture Deliver at Lovely Professional University on Management of Diabetes

INSTITUTE HOSPITALITY/CAFETERIA MANAGEMENT

• Institute hospitality at the meetings of constituted committees, visits of dignitaries
  and at college functions  is provided by the department. The overall management
  of the cafeterias and the eating outlets situated at various blocks of the hospital also is the responsibility of the department.