Food is not just about satisfying hunger. It is more about the experience that engages all your senses at the time. The taste of a dish is paramount, but equally important is its aroma and presentation. A beautifully plated meal can make a significant difference in the dining experience, as can the utensils and plates used to serve it. Imagine that you finally sit to eat something after a long, tiring day. As you are about to take your first bite, you also get a glimpse of a random person's medical test reports the diseases they might have, their prescription and more. We are pretty sure that it would be an unpleasant experience for all. After all, aven the best-tasting food can lose its appeal if it is served poorly. However, a hospital in Mumbai didn't seem to have thought it through. In fact, they allegedly served meals on patients' old medical reports. The presentation instantly irked many who took to social media to share a video of the instance.
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The paper plates had the names of the hospital and patients and other medical details. As per the clip, it was from King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital.
हे काय चाललंय ??
प्रशासन जागे व्हा…!
एवढा अंधाधुनी कारभार करू नका @mybmc @mybmcHealthDept pic.twitter.com/6gUw6BSSGA— Kishori Pednekar (@KishoriPednekar) July 5, 2024
The video has not only prompted some administrative actions but also various reactions on social media. "Isn't it unhygienic...medical records would have been carried multiple times to hospitals and would have handled by patients, doctors, nurses etc n number of times..how can they make something out of which food has to be consumed," wrote an X (formally Twitter).
Even the normal paper plates are unhygienic. The paper board is never cleaned/washed from paper mill, printer, to plate factory to you. They just cut and punch whatever cardboard is there.— vijay ninel (@vijayninel) July 7, 2024
"C'mon, give them steel plates. Why are you adding to the pollution that you cannot clean up properly, in the first place," added another one.
There is nothing wrong in recycling/reusing old and useless papers. Why so much of fuss about it?— Mithilesh Kumar Singh (@mithilesh_ifs) July 7, 2024
However, amidst the criticism, one user also wrote. "There is nothing wrong in recycling/reusing old and useless papers. Why so much of fuss about it."
C'mon @mybmc, give them steel plates. Why are you adding to the pollution that you cannot clean up properly, in the first place.— reggie fernandes (@notxweet) July 7, 2024
Meanwhile, following the circulation of the video, the administration of King Edward Memorial Hospital, a civic-run facility, has reportedly issued show-cause notices to six staff members. The hospital's dean later clarified the plates were not made of patient reports, but old CT scan folders.
"They are not patient reports. They are old folders of CT scans given to scrap dealers for repurposing. The only mistake was that these scrap papers were not shredded before being given away," Dr Ravat from the hospital told PTI.