Food for Health

Our team of cooks, under the direction of Head Cook Marlaine Georges, prepares three nutritious meals for patients every day. With an average of well over 100 inpatients per day across our services—from internal medicine to maternal health to pediatrics—this small but mighty team cooks up more than 10,000 meals every single month.

Marlaine Georges explains, “In the morning, the person who gathers the dishes checks how many patients we have, so we can have an exact number and we don’t leave anyone out.” Then the team prepares fresh, culturally appropriate meals, using ingredients they’ve purchased at the local open-air markets. Marlaine, who’s been an SBH cook for 23 years, says that despite the ongoing crisis in Haiti, “We find everything we could need to cook food for the patients. In the morning, we usually provide plantains, cornmeal with greens, or spaghetti with hardboiled eggs. For the midday meal, we provide cornmeal, bean sauce, and vegetables. Or rice and beans, or sometimes millet. In the evening, we provide soft porridge or oatmeal.” They also prepare fresh fruit juices to serve with the food.

These high-quality meals are an important component of the dignified, holistic care we provide to our patients. Elysée St. Cyr, a social worker at our SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) Rehabilitation Center, attests, “I see daily the positive impact of this healthy and balanced diet on the health of our patients. Adequate nutrition plays a crucial role in their recovery, providing them with the energy and nutrients needed to strengthen their immune systems and improve their quality of life.” He adds, “I hope that other hospitals will be inspired by this example and adopt similar initiatives for the well-being of all their patients.”

When asked what makes her proud of her work, Marlaine says, simply, “It’s a pleasure for me when the patients don’t remain hungry and they find food to soothe them.”