Kolkata: Food has always been an important ingredient of Durga Puja celebrations. People try out different types of food during the Puja days. But those who remain confined within the four walls of different hospitals do not have too many options to choose from.
This time there is good news for the people undergoing treatments at different hospitals as the state Health department has come up with a unique idea of providing special food to the patients at all the state-run medical colleges across the state during Puja days.
According to sources, special menu will be arranged for the patients at the district and sub-divisional hospitals. The patients admitted at various departments will be get special food during the four days from Saptami to Dashami.
The decision was taken by the Health department so that the patients can have something different at least during the four Puja days. It will also break their monotony of having same food every day. It has been decided that on the day of Asthami all the patients will be provided with vegetarian food. They will be given gram curry in the lunch along with the rice, dal, a vegetable curry for lunch. For dinner, special paneer curry will be served to the patients along with rice and dal. Chutney, papad and payesh will also be included in the menu list. In the other three days fish or chicken will included in the menu and the patients can have a choice between them. The rice, daal and a vegetable curry will also be available in the list.
According to a official of the state Health department, the patients who remain confined within the four walls of the hospital hardly had an opportunity to go outside to take part in Bengal's biggest celebration, Durga Puja. So it was a deliberate attempt to make the patients happy. Throughout the year the patients have to eat the same type of food and hence a different type of food will be a relief to their taste buds. The official said that Bengali people's favourite payesh will be in the menu.