On 22^nd September, 2023, many captivating activities took place and attracted a large number of participants on the Terrace (3rd floor, Building F) of FV Hospital. These activities were part of our response to “Malnutrition Awareness Week 2023” from 18th – 22nd September promoting the  message ‘Nutrition Care Is a Patient Right’.

The first activity that was the food fair organised as part of this annual event at FV. The fair was crowded with many stalls & sellers. The stalls were operated from 11 am – 3 pm, featuring many delicious, and nutritious foods such as beef pies, mooncakes, mixed rice paper, milk tea, yogurt, Takoyaki, fruit tea and traditional cakes; obviously this attracted a large number of visitors, including both staffs, patients and their families.

To accompany the food, there was a cooking demonstration by Mr Nguyen Vuong Quynh, the Sous Chef of FV Bistro who showed the tasty and nutritious dish or “Sichuan style Pork belly dish stewed with shiitake mushrooms”. The demonstration was detailed and the preparation method was relatively simple, allowing participants to easily recreate nutritious meal at home for the family.

The next activity was the Poster creation contest to meet the theme “Nutrition Care is a Patient Right”. Many of the entries revolved around raising awareness of malnutrition the importance of nutritional care for patients and providing valuable knowledge. The presentations showed the nurses’ confident and professional English language skills. Ultimately, the top three awards all went to nursing teams, including the 1^st Prize – Nursing Surgical West Department, the 2^nd Prize – Nursing Department, and the 3^rd Prize – A&E Nursing Department. The consolation positions belonged to the Medical East Department, the Quality Management Department, and the F&B Department.

Lastly, the most anticipated competition was the Food contest themed “Preparing Snack for Malnourished People”. Although this year marked the second time of the contest, it continued to prove its popularity by attracting 10 teams and enthusiastic participation from patients, family members, and FV staff. The dishes ranged from simple to intricate, with carefully selected ingredients to ensure all the dishes met the criteria of being delicious and nutritious.

To enable  the competition segments were objectively and comprehensively evaluated, the organising committee invited a panel of judges, including Specialist Level II, Nguyen Viet Quynh Thu, MD, Msc – Head of the Dietetics & Nutrition Department; Ms Lee Poh Lian – Nursing Director; Ms Carina Oanh Hoang – Hospitality Services Manager; Ms Le Thi Lan Khanh – Director of The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund; and Mr Nguyen Vuong Quynh – Sous Chef at FV Bistro. They conducted assessments by observing the presentations, evaluating the taste and presentation of the dishes, as well as considering the nutritional value.

With the first dish, De Nhat Ngu Thien (Swallow’s nest, lotus seeds, lychee), Three Rabbits team from the Project Development Department won the 1^st prize in the competition and received the valuable award.  Ms Phuong Thuy, a member of the championship team, shared, “Last year, we won 3^rd place, so this year we had some experience and were determined to prepare thoroughly, from brainstorming ideas, sourcing ingredients, cooking, presenting, and shooting the video. Each team member fulfilled their own role, and the result was truly deserving since this year our team claimed the top spot in the competition.” The champion of the Food contest also expressed their gratitude to the Organizing Committee and the Dietetics & Nutrition Department for providing Family FV members with the opportunity to showcase their cooking skills, as well as to engage, bond, and learn from each other.

The 2^nd Prize in the Food contest included the Medical Office Department and the A&E Nursing Department. The 3^rd Prize came from the OPD Nursing Department, the Medical East Department, and The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund. Other teams also performed excellently in the competition, falling just slightly short and receiving consolation price, including the Anaesthesiology & ICU Department, the Surgical West Department, the Front Desk Department, and the Medical Secretary Department.

At the end of the programme, Ms Carina Oanh Hoang, the judge representative expressed her gratitude to the teams for dedicating their time, energy, and efforts to create delicious and visually appealing dishes that met the criteria of the competition. She hopes that next year, the competition will attract even more teams and explore the cooking potential of the participants.

The event concluded at 4:00 PM, leaving behind a lot of joy, valuable knowledge, and the opportunity for participants to enjoy nutritious and delicious meals. FV hopes that through the Nutrition Awareness Week, and through the competitions it will help participants and the community stay up to date and apply timely medical nutrition knowledge for your health in daily life

More images about the event: