Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) will soon provide better food to its patients, thanks to the heal-th department allocating enhanced funds.

The earlier allocation of Rs 50 per indoor patient per day at PMCH has been raised to Rs 100.

The daily food served to patients used to contain around 2,400 calories but as per the revised diet chart, the hospital will serve food containing 3,500 calories.

For children admitted at the hospital, the calorie count has been upped from 2,000 to 2,775.

According to the PMCH administration, the revised diet chart will be implemented within a month.

There are 1,675 beds in the hospital. PMCH provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to around 2,000 patients a day, including patients who don't get beds but undergo treatment in the hospital.

PMCH deputy superintendent Sudhanshu Singh said: "Milk and milk products would be provided to patients at the hospital." Hospital manager Alok Ranjan said curd and cottage cheese would find place in the new diet chart.

"The new diet chart will fulfil the nutritional requirements of patients," said a dietician at the state chapter of Unicef, preferring anonymity. "However, it remains to be seen whether things mentioned on paper reach the patients. For example, if the diet chart says that bananas have to be provided to patients, the quality of the fruits has to be checked. Same for pulses."

The PMCH administration will revive its different diet programmes for various categories of patients. "Earlier diabetic, post-operative and kidney patients were given different food at the hospital but the different diet chart system for separate categories of patients is not being maintained at the hospital for a long time. We are going to revive this," said a PMCH official.

Patients seemed happy at the decision but many complained they were not receiving food as per the present diet chart of the hospital.

"Presently, we do not get everything mentioned in the hospital diet chart," said Mohamamd Zaul Haque from Bhojpur, admitted in the Rajendra surgical block. "But I believe if the funds allocation for patients' food is increased, we will get everything mentioned in the diet chart."

The hospital administration admitted that all patients at the premier hospital were not receiving breakfast, lunch and dinner properly.

"Officially there are 1,675 beds in the hospital but in reality, there are 2,000 patients," said deputy superintendent Singh. "The hospital gets food for only 1,675 patients but it provides food to all other patients receiving treatment. This is why we are not able to provide food to many patients on several occasions."