Weipa Integrated Health Service kitchen staff are busily preparing for Christmas Day – cook Myra Adlawan, kitchen hand Nay Bunkhrong and cook/kitchen hand Rowena Bacay. Photo: TCHHS.
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 (TCHHS) 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, all followed by 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 other dietary or food allergy requirements, will also have special Christmas meal selections to choose from.
At Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service (MPHS) 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. There’s also Christmas pudding for dessert.
Aged care residents at Sunbird Lodge will also be offered prawns for their Christmas lunch in addition to the main hospital menu items.
There’ll also be sticky date pudding for dessert at lunch and Christmas pudding at dinner.
For those with restricted or special dietary requirements, modified Christmas meals and desserts will be available.
Thursday Island Hospital kitchen staff have been getting into the Christmas spirit – Henrietta Thompson, Lillian Bann, Eileen Sailor and Margaret Tabo. Photo: TCHHS.
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.
Eggs, baked beans and chipolata sausage are on the breakfast menu at Weipa Integrated Health Service. A selection of porridge or cereals will also be offered.
For Christmas lunch, most will be tucking in to leg ham and marinated chicken with a variety of vegetables. There’ll also be potato and macaroni salad.
And for dessert, fresh fruit with a choice of custard or chocolate mousse provides the perfect finish. Special meals will be available for those with dietary restrictions or requirements.
Planning the Christmas menus: Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service kitchen staff – Jason Heke, Melanka Ackland, Alice Seagren and Lilly Rhodes. Photo: TCHHS.
