Nutrition is the study of the influence of food intake on health and well-being, and dietetics is the application of nutritional knowledge particularly tailored to individual needs in the prevention and management of disease. Nutritionist and dietitian are uniquely qualified to translate scientific information about food into practical dietary advice.
At SIUT the Nutrition and dietetic services Department started its services in 1993 and presently the team consists of 10 qualified Registered Dietitians. All are member of the Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetics Society (PNDS). Nutrition and dietetic department provides nutritional guidance to in and out patients and is involved in research and education programs. For the year 2022, over 135,000 patients received some form of nutrition consultation.
Clinical Dietitians assess the nutritional status of patients, formulate a plan according to their nutritional needs and ensure proper implementation and regular monitoring of this plan. On daily basis team members do ward rounds in the ICUS, Nephrology, Urology, Transplant, Pediatrics, Gastro, Hepato and Oncology units as well as the newly established COVID ICU and HDUBesides counseling, they are also responsible for planning and managing enteral and parenteral nutrition. Nutritional supplements are provided to patients who are unable to meet their energy requirements orally. All of this is free with dignity.
Dietitians are available in almost all the Out Patient Department (OPD) including the Filter OPD, Stone OPD, Pediatrics, Nephrology and Urology
OPD, Pre and Post-Transplant OPD, CRF OPD, Diabetic OPD, Donor OPD, GI OPD, and Oncology OPD. In every OPD referred patient’s individual nutritional requirement is calculated and detailed dietary counseling done according to their disease. In addition written instructions are also provided.
The Nutrition department has also started twice weekly nutrition clinics specifically for patients with Head and Neck and GI tract cancers requiring tube feeding.
Research has been conducted on various populations covering Pediatric dialysis, Post-Transplant etc. The dietetic team is always keen to participate in public awareness programs, such as Diabetic day, Kidney day and Hepatitis day.
In addition department is running internship and training programs for fresh students and deliver lectures on nutrition to Nursing and BS Technology students. In addition Continuing Nutrition Education and workshops are held in collaboration with PNDS periodically. Presented poster and oral presentations at national and international scientific programs.
The department publishes updated guidelines in form of handouts according to specific disease condition. The department has established its ICU nutrition protocol
We are providing high calorie, high protein snacks to oncology ward patients. We also introduced milk and egg service to dialysis patients during every dialysis session. A Kitchen has been established for the post-transplant patients with special dietary needs.
Imparting education to the patient is an important activity at the department. The department has published nutrition information handouts based on current international guidelines while at the same time taking into account the socio-cultural aspects of our patient population. The Nutritional information handouts are pictorial and easy to understand so as to aid patients who cannot read.