TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Free food for all provided in two Jakarta hospitals
Patients and their family members often skip meals when they attend to sick relatives in the hospital, while those seeking checkups opt to sacrifice a meal rather than risk losing their turn to consult with a doctor
Change Size
P
span>Patients and their family members often skip meals when they attend to sick relatives in the hospital, while those seeking checkups opt to sacrifice a meal rather than risk losing their turn to consult with a doctor.
However, as a FoodBox has been stationed at Evasari Hospital in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, since Oct. 13, they do no longer have to worry about skipping meals.
The FoodBox, a large container that stores 100 food boxes daily, which can be taken by anyone for free, is a joint project between the hospital and the crowdfunding platform, KitaBisa.
Yus Rahardi, a 66-year-old retired man who is regularly checked at the hospital because of high cholesterol, said he was struggling to find healthy food around the hospital that would not raise his cholesterol levels even more.
In addition, he said he could often not leave the hospital to get lunch for fear of losing his turn for an appointment with the doctor.
However, after first trying the food from the FoodBox in the Evasari Hospital building on Dec. 3, he decided to keep eating it.
“It’s healthier than other foods outside the hospital. Plus it tastes great and is very easy to get. I’m very grateful for the arrival of FoodBox,” Yus said.
Evasari Hospital in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, is the first hospital in Indonesia to host the food container.
Every meal within the FoodBox must pass a thorough inspection by the hospital’s nutritionist.
According to the Evasari Hospital’s nutritionist, Nurbaiti, the food must contain a total of 2,100 calories, consisting of protein, vegetables, rice and fruit.
“It has to fulfill the 4 Sehat 5 Sempurna [four healthy, five perfect] diet principle,” she said.
Apart from patients and their family members, visitors and hospital employees are also welcome to take the food stored in the blue FoodBox, which looks like a common storage cupboard with a transparent door that can be opened by anyone.
“It has to fulfill the 4 Sehat 5 Sempurna [four healthy, five perfect] diet principle.”
Beside the door, there’s a deposit slot where people can donate money and a GoPay QR code, where people can scan to donate to help sustain the service.
Wiji Lestari, a 39-year-old customer service employee who has regularly consumed the food since FoodBox’s arrival at the hospital last month, said she had benefited from the accessibility of the food stored in it, which helped her to grab a quick lunch during busy hours.
Evasari Hospital director Herutami said that the FoodBox had become a popular choice for lunch among workers, patients and visitors alike.
According to Herutami, the initial food supply of 50 boxes daily was no longer enough because of high demand, so she chose to increase the number to 100 boxes daily.
“Patients, their family members, visitors and employees are helped by the FoodBox thanks to how easy you can get a quick lunch from there. They also enjoy the food because of its nutritional value and flavor,” she said.
If the demand keeps rising, Herutami said the hospital would be ready to add another FoodBox container.
Separately, KitaBisa PR Fara Devana said that FoodBox’s launch at Evasari Hospital met a positive reception from both the people at the hospital and the donors.
According to her, KitaBisa is ready to expand FoodBox to the other hospitals that cover patients of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS).
“We have collaborated with Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and stationed two FoodBoxes there since November,” she told The Jakarta Post.
She also explained KitaBisa’s future goal would be to distribute FoodBox to cities outside of Jakarta.
“Our current goals are a hospital in Yogyakarta, in addition to a state-owned hospital in Jakarta,” Fara said. (hpw)
