SINGAPORE – All 252 patients at Alexandra Hospital tucked into a special Chinese New Year Eve dinner on Monday evening (Jan 31).
The in-house team of 22 chefs served up a six-course meal which included dishes such as melon soup, locally sourced seabass and pineapple cake, hoping to raise some cheer among the patients just as a four-week suspension of visitors kicked in.
Mr Sebastian Low, 48, head of food services at Alexandra Hospital, said: “As a patient, if you are unable to go home, at least you can feast on delicious food during this period.
“Food is medicine, and we want to help our patients recover faster so they can go back to their families.”
All in-person visits to hospital wards and residential care homes have been suspended from Jan 24 to Feb 20 as Covid-19 community cases climb.
Some patient groups are allowed visitors on a case-by-case basis, as assessed by the hospitals. These are critically ill patients, paediatric patients, birthing or post-partum mothers, and patients who require additional support from caregivers.
To bring a smile to its patients, Alexandra Hospital came up with the idea of a Chinese New Year Eve dinner, and dishes were named after auspicious greetings typically shouted during lohei, a custom which involves tossing salad in the air to welcome abundance and prosperity.
For instance, the pineapple cake for dessert was named bu bu gao shen, which means to rise to the top step by step. The Chinese name for cake is also pronounced as gao.
The dishes were also customised based on the nutritional needs of patients. Those with swallowing difficulties were served porridge instead of rice, for example.
To spread festive cheer, origami animals in the 12 zodiac signs were also distributed to patients. Alexandra Hospital also arranged for one of its staff to dress up as the God of Fortune to greet them.
Over at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 795 patients also enjoyed festive dishes such as abalone mushroom soup and orange mousse.
These dishes came in a few variations, including an easy-to-chew option for those patients who could not eat tough or fibrous food.
To ensure that patients received their meals on time, chefs at both hospitals started their day as early as 5am.
Some of them had to miss family gatherings to serve the patients, but Mr Low said: “We were mentally prepared to make this sacrifice. As front-line workers, we know very clearly this is our role and responsibility.”
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MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.