22 Dec 2012 2:40pm Saturday I just went to visit my friend patient Joanne in the ward 34A and I discovered this shocking new truth - we, can't bring food for patients when visiting anymore. Patients can't accept food from other visitors anymore! Nurse Clinician Narcissa Aquino (Nancy) said "What if she get diarrhoea? We got 'instructions from 'upstairs' not to pass food to patients'". I think this should change. It is absurd.

22 Dec 2012 2:40pm Saturday

I just went to visit my friend patient Joanne in the ward 34A and I discovered this shocking new truth - we, can't bring food for patients when visiting anymore. Patients can't accept food from other visitors anymore! Nurse Clinician Narcissa Aquino (Nancy) said "What if she get diarrhoea? We got 'instructions from 'upstairs' not to pass food to patients'".
I think this should change. It is absurd. If i am in the ward, my friends may be ex-patients of IMH, and I have this particular friend who is an ex patient of IMH and the way he encourages me when I was in the hospital was he bought all sorts of food for me when I was in the hospital. At that time no one was supposed to visit me. I was barred all visitors. The food livened me up and made me happy! Especially cup noodles. Cup noodles made me so happy. If i am a patient still staying in IMH, and if an ex patient IMH friend would visit me and bring me food, i would be so happy! I, as a patient, look forward to the days the food comes! And that's the only thing I look forward to! The food cheered me up and made me feel better! Come on, if you say "what if the food gives diarrhoea to the patient?",:
Firstly, I bought the food from downstairs, the canteen. So are you saying the food there can cause diarrhoea? Secondly, I am visiting my dear friend. Would I bring something that is poisonous for her? Thirdly, what a patient really look for from an ex patient visit is really food and love. And by doing this, you are hindering them getting their daily dose of booster. Fourthly, it's CHRISTMAS, surely if we don't bring any food, there would be food for the patients in some celebration as well? So the volunteers who bring food causes diarrhoea as well la. And in this season, surely you will let us bring at least something for the patients? Lastly, if all else fails, if I am found, upon simple observation, that the patient falls sick after i pass them the food, u can don't allow me to pass her food anymore! But not giving me a single chance to do it defeats the whole purpose.
What's the purpose of visiting a patient but having no food for them? Not being able to buy food for them? Empty. I'm sure IMH service can do better than this. This is patient emotional welfare we are talking about.

And I would like to point out that when I told Nurse Clinician Sister Nancy Narcissa Aquino that "I should feedback about this!", she nonchalantly just gestured to me and said "You want to feedback, feedback la! It's your feedback what." She should speak and her actions should be more caring and professional.
I want to see us being able to bring food to patients again.