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Malnutrition is common in hospitalized patients. According to the available scientific evidence, more than 40% of hospitalized patients are malnourished. The appropriate nutritional support can speed up the recovery, prevent complications, and shorten the duration of hospital stay. Nutritional support, including dietary modification, oral nutritional supplements, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition, are important components of the management of malnutrition.

What is Medical Nutrition Therapy?

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is a therapeutic approach to treating medical conditions and their associated symptoms via the use of a specifically tailored diet. The diet is based upon the patient’s medical and psychosocial history, physical examination, functional examination and dietary history.

Functions of the Department

Patient Specific Services

1. Detailed nutritional assessment
2. Detailed dietary history and analysis of diets
3. Setting nutritional goals
4. Tailor made nutrition care plan- Therapeutic foods, enteral or parenteral
5. Nutrition counselling

Other nutrition related services

1. Nutrition related research/ Audits
2. Organizing nutrition related educational programmes and skill developmental programmes

Referring system

• Referrals from the OPD
• Referrals from clinics
• Referrals from Wards / ICU
• Referrals from local hospitals/ MOH clinics/ School health clinics

The unit provide specialices nutritional care for inwards and clinic patients. The patients specific services of the unit includes detailed nutritional assessment setting nutritional goals, tailor made nutritional care plan and nutrition counseling. The unit involves in assuring the quality of the meals provided by the hospital and organizing nutrition related education programmes.

The unit is currently conducted by a MSc qualified medical officer in human nutrition and the administrative supervision is carried out by the Director, Provincial General Hospital, Badulla. The unit is established of the Old OPD Building.