Patients and staff at Australia’s northernmost hospital will be tucking into a special roast meal with all the trimmings on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Acting Operational Services Manager North Clare Pickering said Thursday Island Hospital’s kitchen would offer a Christmas lunch of roast turkey, chicken and pork or leg of ham.
The meats will be accompanied by roast pumpkin and potatoes, as well as green vegetables. There will also be a dessert of Christmas pudding and custard.
Similar options will be available on New Year’s Eve.
Those on restricted meals, such as a soft or pureed menu, or who have various other dietary or food allergy requirements, won’t be forgotten and will also have special Christmas meal selections to choose from.
At Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service and Sunbird Lodge, patients, aged care residents and staff will be offered ham and eggs for breakfast, as well as normal breakfast options.
“It’s a special day and our inpatients and aged care consumers will be able to tuck into a festive- flavoured breakfast, lunch and dinner,’’ Operations Manager Eastern Campbell Venables said.
For lunch, staff, inpatients and aged care residents will be offered Christmas ham, or roast chicken or turkey and roast vegetables or salad.
Aged care residents at Sunbird Lodge also will also be offered prawns for their Christmas lunch in addition to the main hospital menu items.
There will also be sticky date pudding for dessert at lunch and Christmas pudding for dessert at dinner.
Both hospital and lodge will have Christmas pudding for dessert and there will be modified Christmas meals and desserts for all those with restricted or special dietary requirements.
Lighter meal options with a festive flavour will be offered for Christmas dinner at Thursday Island Hospital, Cooktown MPHS and Sunbird Lodge, generally cold meats and salads.
“We’ve found that, nowadays, people usually prefer a lighter meal in the evening after their big lunch,’’ Mr Venables said.
At Weipa Integrated Health Service there will be eggs, baked beans and chipolata sausage for breakfast with a selection of porridge or cereals to accompany.
For Christmas lunch, everyone will be tucking in to leg ham and marinated chicken with a variety of vegetables. There will also be potato and macaroni salad.
And for dessert, there will be fresh fruit with a choice of custard or chocolate mousse. Special meals also will be available for those with dietary restrictions or requirements.