Going beyond everyday cooking 

“It is common knowledge that food plays a critical part to aid an ill person. At MIOT, we go beyond cooking healthy meals for patients. I firmly believe that if food is not palatable, it doesn’t complement the healing process. To me, both nutrition and taste are important. You see, food makes us feel at home. The aroma of familiar spices, the distinctive techniques of cooking, the rousing taste — All of these elements help immensely in speeding up a patient’s recovery. At the end of the day, all patients look forward to a quicker recovery, and I let food play its part in meeting that goal.” 

“I have a story to support this thought. During the pandemic when the patients were isolated from their families, I realised the need to add a touch of homeliness to their medical care. And, what better than food? I got into action and with Sodexo’s help, we made sure that our menus had a place for foods of different cultures. This mantra worked. When patients found their hospital diet to mirror their home food, they felt better psychologically and surprisingly recovered quickly too.” 

“At MIOT, we go beyond mundane cooking to make fresh, interesting and culturally-relevant meals. I can count on Sodexo to continue with our purpose day in and day night, every single day.” 

MIOT’s culinary tale with Sodexo — The origins 

“My hospital’s beginnings were quite humble. We started with a capacity of 40 beds. Back then, we managed the catering in-house. And, I admit it was quite disorganised and chaotic. With time, as we expanded our medical services and upgraded our infrastructure, I saw an acute need for a professional catering partner. This is where Sodexo stepped in. Since then, Sodexo has been my preferred meal partner at the hospital.” 

“The Sodexo team has been working cohesively with my hospital team to implement the finest food experiences for both patients, their relatives and my staff. Eating food is one thing, savouring it mindfully is another. Being a medical professional, I strongly root for the latter.” 

Sodexo’s impact on MIOT 

“What I like the most about Sodexo is its ability to innovate. I’ll explain. With the rise in medical tourism, many of my patients come from overseas. I have people from Sri Lanka and South Korea coming to MIOT for treatment. In such a scenario, serving culturally and regionally relevant food becomes equivalent to offering a personalised experience to these patients.” 

“I recount one particular incident wherein I headed to the kitchen to reach out to Chef Benjamin for a Sri Lankan dish. I showed him a YouTube video and asked him if he could replicate it or serve something close. To my amazement, Chef Benjamin put the right ingredients together to cook the dish exactly as I asked for. Now, that’s what I would call utmost dedication and close partnership from Sodexo.” 

“I live in the hospital building and I make it a point to head to the kitchen as and when needed, and I must say, I’m never disappointed. I have another story about Sodexo that’s worthy of sharing. Once during a conversation with Chef Benjamin, I remarked if the Indian population in our hospital would warm up to the idea of eating western foods, such as quinoa. Once again Chef Benjamin surprised me by tweaking the regular Chinese Fried Rice to his signature Quinoa Fried Rice. And, I’m told that this dish has been a hit ever since.” 

“It's not just incidents like these that make my appreciation for Sodexo soar. Sodexo has been with us throughout our journey even during the worst of floods and the moments of the pandemic. Be it curating interesting menus or be it during opening a fine dining place within the premises to cater to patients and their relatives, Sodexo has stood up to the occasion for me. Sodexo is part of the MIOT family.”