K'taka plans junk food ban in schools, colleges and govt hospitals: Health minister U T Khader

Pics: Nayana J C Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC) Mangaluru, Jul 18: Karnataka health and family welfare minister U T Khader on Saturday announced that the state government is set to crack down on junk food by introducing a ban on burgers, pizzas, and other unhealthy food items in school and college canteens as well as government hospitals, in a bid to promote healthier lifestyles and tackle the rising incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. Addressing doctors, hospital staff, and officials during a review meeting on the functioning and development of Government Wenlock Hospital at the Regional Advanced Paediatric Care Centre (RAPCC) in Mangaluru, the minister said unhealthy eating habits had become a major factor behind the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including kidney ailments and cancer. Khader said school and college canteens should serve only wholesome, nutritious food, with little or no space for unhealthy items on their menus. Similarly, canteens in government hospitals would be directed to provide affordable and nutritious meals for patients, attendants, doctors, and staff. He expressed confidence that Wenlock Hospital could emerge as a model for healthy hospital canteens across Karnataka. The minister also announced plans to strengthen food safety enforcement by upgrading the state's food testing laboratory in Bengaluru into a world-class facility capable of detecting food quality violations more effectively. He warned that stringent action would be taken against manufacturers found compromising food quality, regardless of the size or reputation of their companies. Following the review meeting, Khader inspected various departments of Wenlock Hospital, including the intensive care unit (ICU) and the children's ward. He interacted with patients, their attendants, doctors, and healthcare personnel, enquired about the quality of treatment and facilities available, and assured them that the government would continue to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and address deficiencies to ensure better patient care. Reviewing the hospital's functioning, the minister stressed that government hospitals must uphold discipline, teamwork, and a strong spirit of public service. He urged doctors, administrators, and staff to work in coordination, avoid internal differences, and maintain punctuality to improve patient care and preserve the institution's reputation. Khader noted that the 1,000-bed Wenlock Hospital caters to nearly 3.5 lac outpatients every year, with around 1,000 patients visiting the outpatient department (OPD) daily. While commending the hospital's high volume of surgical procedures, he said there was a need to further strengthen super-speciality services, infrastructure, and critical care facilities. Highlighting the shortage of nursing staff, the minister said the government would examine measures to improve staff retention and ensure continuity in patient care. Discussions also focused on enhancing transplant services, expanding specialised ICUs, and improving operational efficiency across departments. He further said the government was considering amendments to the existing counselling policy governing the transfer of government doctors to address issues such as spouse postings and transfers involving differently abled employees, while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services across the state. Khader also instructed officials to introduce greater transparency in the accounting of hospital diagnostic services by reflecting actual operational expenditure instead of estimated market values. MLC Ivan D'Souza, deputy commissioner Darshan H V, zilla panchayat CEO Vinayak Karbari, district health officer Dr Thimmayya, Wenlock Hospital medical superintendent Dr Shivaprakash, and other senior officials were present at the meeting.