Diet Therapy Department
The Diet Therapy Department is responsible for providing medical nutrition therapy within the healthcare facility. The department plays a key role in managing and treating various health conditions and diseases through the use of tailored dietary interventions. This involves assessing individuals’ nutritional needs and developing interventions, and personalized eating plans to address specific health goals.
The department adopts a multidisciplinary team approach, working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals in the management of patient care. It oversees the planning, implementation, and continuous evaluation of nutrition services within the hospital to ensure effective and evidence-based nutritional care.
Leadership
The Dietetics unit consists of Registered and Licensed Dietitian (RD/LD), Clinical Nutritionists, Food scientists, Diet Technicians, Diet caterers and Diet Cooks, all of whom are accredited by the Ghana Allied Health Professional Council (AHPC-Ghana) and are members of Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND).
The department is led by a Chief Dietitian who has accumulated over 25years of experience in Dietetics practices. The Chief Dietitian provides strategic directives, manages teams, have clinical oversight, organizes training and education for staff and interns or students, facilitates collaborations with other healthcare professionals and also ensures ethical practice and oversees evidence-based nutrition care in line with national and international standards. The Chief Dietitian has two (2) assistants, one is responsible for Clinical Matters and the other is responsible for Administration and Training
Capabilities & Services Provided
We provide services that seek to support patient care and these include;
- Nutrition Assessment – where we evaluate patients nutritional needs and develop personalized plans.
- Meal Planning – we create tailed made meal plans for patients with scientific dietary needs.
- Nutritional Counseling – we provide education and support for patients, both out patients and in-patients, to manage their diet.
- Formulation of Specialized Diet – we design and offer diets for specific conditions.
- Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition – we provide nutrition support for patients who can not eat orally or are not meeting their nutrient requirements sub-optimally.
- Diet Catering Services – We provide specialized catering services including menu development and food services.
- Medical Nutrition Outreach – we offer education and workshops for church groups, communities and other organized groups.
Departments, Units, Sub-specialties
- Clinical Nutrition
- Community & Public Health Nutrition
- Maternal, Infant & Child Nutrition
- Diet Therapy for Non-Communicable Diseases
- Institutional & Therapeutic Feeding Services
- Medical Teams (Teams A, B, C, D)
- Surgical Team
- Paediatrics Team
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Renal Team
- Out Patient Department (OPD)
Mode of Operations (Timings, Appointments)
- Services are provided by Walk-ins, appointment and referral
- Consultations are available Monday to Friday, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, with emergency or in-patient services offered as required within the health facility.
Training Capabilities
We support:
- Internship and practical training for dietetic students
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities
- Nutrition education and training sessions for staff, patients, and communities.
- Weekly Wednesday Clinical presentations and meetings
Affiliation and Relationship with Other Facilities and Institutions
We work in collaboration with:
- Allied Health Professions Council (Ghana)
- Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND)
- Ghana Health Service / Teaching Hospitals / Private Health Facilities
- Medical officers, nurses, pharmacists, and other allied health professionals
- Relevant academic and professional bodies