Lots of cool stuff is being heard in the food tech space. Manyfood brands partneringtogether and launching various plant based food and beverages. Lots of new brands are coming up. Amidst all this something exciting has happened in the healthcare space as well. The world's first Vegan Food only hospital has come up in Lebanon.
On 1 March 2021 the Hayek Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon became the first hospital in the world to serve only vegan food.
The Transition Phase
The menu change took place after a transition period. During the transition phase, Hayek offered its patients a choice between animal-based and vegan meals.
They also supplied information about the health benefits of choosing plant based foods and the harmful effects of eating animal products.
The Announcement
The Hayek hospital announced the switch on their Instagram account. Their post read, “Our patients will no longer wake up from surgery to be greeted with ham, cheese, milk, and eggs … the very food[s] that may have contributed to their health problems in the first place e,”.
With this, they became the world's first hospital to offer vegan meals exclusively to its patients.
Vegan Food: The Gateway to Good Health
Hayek Hospital took the lead in making a much-awaited change in the healthcare systems. The ignorance of most healthcare professionals and organisations towards the harmful implications of animal products on human health is appalling. It's an irony that most health professionals, trainers, hospitals still recommend different types of meats, eggs and milk as an instrumental part of a balanced diet.
The way Hayek hospital has taken the lead standing true to their profession and duties gives the rest of the world hope. They have also set up an example and probably inspire other hospitals to follow in their footsteps.
The hospital also mentioned in their post, “When adopting a plant-based diet has been scientifically proven not only to stop the evolution of certain diseases but it can also reverse them. We then have the moral responsibility to act upon and align our beliefs with our actions. Taking the courage to look at the elephant in the eye.”
Hayek Hospital is now offering a variety of plant based meals. The menu has vegan dishes like fajita sandwich, vegan burgers, pizzas, and croissants. They also have vegan versions of traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as shawarma platters, shish Barak, and labneh sandwiches.