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Kitimatian continues battle to improve hospital food quality

Ernie Archer spoke to the standing committee on finance, encouraging them to find a way to make food quality better in Northern Health.

Resident Ernie Archer took the opportunity at the public speaking portion of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services  meeting last week to again pursue action relating to food quality at the hospital.

The committee is gathering input relating to next year's provincial budget.

Recalling instances of foul smelling food and even frozen or moldy food, Archer said nothing has been done to correct food handling at the hospital.

While he said he wasn't sure the exact cost for providing food for patients, he is certain money could even be saved in a different system of providing food.

“When you think of the fact that some of these people in multi-level care are paying $7,000 and $8,000 a month to be there, that's garbage they're getting,” he said.

Archer noted that he had the option of moving to multi-level care but instead decided to remodel his home for over $100,000. “I hope I never have to go back to the hospital,” he said.

“You go in the hospital and ask somebody what their complaints are? The food,” Archer continued. “Ninety percent of what comes out of the kitchen goes back. It's a waste of money.”

Archer took an opportunity to find some humour in the situation, saying that he has told the hospital administrator in Kitimat that “If he sees a Portuguese woman, hire her. You can live off her soups, I guarantee it.”

Turning serious again, he said he just hopes something changes soon.

I just hope somebody here convinces people in this hospital or in Northern Health to get their act together and find us some way of getting the food cooked here,” he said. “I never got a quicker reaction in telling a dietitian in Prince George that I hoped the next time I meet her I'm not sitting across the table from her at an inquest for why somebody died of malnutrition in Kitimat General Hospital.”