40 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
4. Good Food
If the sick person feels like eating, let him. Most
sicknesses do not require special diets.
A sick person should drink plenty of liquids and
eat a lot of nourishing food (see Chapter 11).
If the person is very weak, give him as much
nourishing food as he can eat, many times a day. If
necessary, mash the foods, or make them into soups
or juices.
Energy foods are especially important—for
example, porridges of rice, wheat, oatmeal, potato, or
cassava. Adding a little sugar and vegetable oil will
increase the energy. Also encourage the sick person
to drink plenty of sweetened drinks, especially if he
will not eat much.
A few problems do require special diets. These are explained on the following pages:
anemia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 124
stomach ulcers and heartburn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 128
appendicitis, gut obstruction, acute abdomen
(in these cases take no food at all) . . . . . p. 93
diabetes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 127
heart problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 325
gallbladder problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 329
high blood pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 125
SPECIAL CARE FOR A PERSON
WHO IS VERY ILL
1. Liquids
It is extremely important that a very sick person drink enough liquid. If he only can
drink a little at a time, give him small amounts often. If he can barely swallow, give him
sips every 5 or 10 minutes.
Measure the amount of liquids the person drinks each day. An adult needs to drink
2 liters or more every day and should urinate at least a cup (240 ml.) of urine 3 or 4
times daily. If the person is not drinking or urinating enough, or if he begins to
show signs of dehydration (p. 151), encourage him to drink more. He should drink
nutritious liquids, usually with a little salt added. If he will not drink these, give him a
Rehydration Drink (see p. 152). If he cannot drink enough of this, and develops signs
of dehydration, a health worker may be able to give him intravenous solution. But the
need for this can usually be avoided if the person is urged to take small sips often.