BUDGET ALLOCATION, MANPOWER, AND NUTRITIONAL FOOD: MAIN ISSUES IN ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS

Abstract

The provision of daily nutritional food for patients in hospitals is a major problem in many government hospitals in Ethiopia. This cross-sectional study investigated the current status and functioning of health facilities concerning daily dietary food provision for patients under healthcare treatments for various health reasons. Thirteen selected government hospitals administrated under regional and federal governments of Ethiopia were studied. The study aimed to generate evidence-based information on the current status and functioning of the health facility concerning daily dietary food provision. The results revealed that the daily provision of hospital patients' nutritional food dietary intake is still a major problem at the majority of the government hospitals in Ethiopia. Insufficient budget allocation, unskilled manpower, and less attention to hospital nutritional foods were common problems among the 13 governmental hospitals. The nutritional food services offered to hospital patients need to be improved, and necessary guidelines and procedures should be prepared and implemented in all hospitals. The study recommended that to improve nutritional food services, the government and other partners should closely work together