55 La sub-metro food sellers medically unfit

Accra, Oct. 15, GNA- Out of a total of 316 food sellers within the La Sub-Metropolitan Area, who underwent medical screening this year, 55 were found to be medically unfit to handle food. Forty-six of them were suffering from typhoid fever while 9 were having intestinal infections.

Mr. Mickson Aryeetey, District Environmental Health Officer of the La Sub-Metro, said these at a meeting with 50 restaurant and drinking bar operators from the area, at the La Beach Resort in Accra at the weekend.

The meeting formed part of the hygiene and sanitation educational programme being executed by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). Mr. Aryeetey warned that anybody found flouting AMA's bye law on medical screening for food handlers would be prosecuted. He urged food sellers to keep their environment clean and to practice good hygiene to guard against health hazards. Mr. Rashid Boi-Nai, co-ordinator of operations at the Resort, announced that a special task force would soon check activities of food handlers in the area, to ensure that they complied with bye laws on hygiene and sanitation.

He said apart from ensuring that vendors at the breach provided safe food for customers, the exercise would enhance tourism. Mr. Larry Mensah, the Beach Front Administrator, gave the assurance that security at the Resort would be tightened to flush out floating food sellers who have not registered with the beach authorities.