FRAIL seniors at a brand new, Government-run care facility are being fed a diet of take-out pizza and hot dogs - because staff cannot be found to prepare proper meals for them.The scandal erupted when residents of the Pembroke Rest Home were forced to move into the state-of-the-art Sylvia Richardson Care Facility in St. George’s at the start of this month.

The new facility was opened by Government in January at a cost of $20 million.

At the time, then-Health Minister Nelson Bascome said the building “will establish a new benchmark and be the future model for residential care, nursing homes and other continuing care facilities throughout Bermuda”, adding that the project underlined Government’s commitment to take residential care “to a better level”.

Although construction was completed in January, the home could not take in any residents because nursing staff still needed to be recruited. As a result, Government postponed its occupancy until the summer.

But last month Government was forced to reverse that decision following the enforced shutdown of the Pembroke Rest Home. About a dozen residents from that facility were moved to the Sylvia Richardson location at the end of March, along with a number of nursing staff and assistants.

But catering staff have yet to be drafted in - leaving no one to operate the new facility’s top of the range kitchens. Instead, administrators have been placing daily bulk orders with a nearby fast food restaurant.Yesterday Government officials were remaining tight-lipped about the crisis, although a Health Ministry spokeswoman did confirm that caterers were being used to provide residents with meals.And the manager of the Shelley Bay branch of Pizza House also confirmed that the chain had been making daily deliveries to the rest home.“I don’t know how long it’s been going on but it’s on a daily basis and definitely for the residents, not the staff,” the manager said, adding that the restaurant’s menu consists of pizzas, fried chicken, ribs, subs and “some vegetables.” The restaurant’s online menu lists a limited choice of pizzas, sandwiches, hotdogs, burgers, lasagna and soups.

The news will come as a major embarrassment to Premier Ewart Brown, who has trumpeted the facility as “a model to the world”.

In a televised address to the nation marking his first 100 days as Premier in February, Dr. Brown said: “The Sylvia Richardson Care Facility in St. George’s marks a turning point in our Government’s commitment to provide our seniors with the best care we can provide with all the comforts of home. This purpose-built facility stands as a model to the world and it is our plan to bring this level of care to other locations in Bermuda.”

Last night Shadow Minister for Health and Seniors Louise Jackson said that, rather than underlining Government’s commitment to quality care for seniors, the fiasco emphasised incompetence and neglect.

“This just says it all doesn’t it? Millions of dollars spent, a five-star kitchen built and they end up serving take-out pizza and chicken to the residents morning, noon and night,” she said.

“I just hope people see the almost unfathomable incompetence that lies beneath virtually every major initiative this Government has launched. Our seniors need a nutritious, well-managed diet, every day.

“Many of them are diabetic or have high cholesterol and heart problems. To put them on a fast food diet, all day, every day is inexplicable and downright reckless.”

Calls to Government dieticians were not returned by press time last night.