The Environmental Health and Sanitation Department under the auspices of Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KoKMA) has embarked on its periodic mass medical screening/health education for food as well as drink handlers at Tema Station, a popular market centre in the Greater Accra Region.
According to KoKMA, in line with Public Health (Act 851), it criminalises the sale of unwholesome food or drink without medical certificate of fitness.
Deputy Municipal Environmental Health Officer at KoKMA, Edward Okai said "The exercise is check the health conditions of the market women and also educate them on the need to stay hygienic"
"We have doing this exercise periodically and without the medical screening, we will not allow the women to sell here"
"This is an operation, we have termed, 'no certificate, no sales'. If you want to sell in the market, you have to display your certificate"
"This is to ensure that food sold is safe for human consumption. You will agree with me that food from the farm, when it gets to the market, the conditions that they are being sold needs to be looked at"
He added that the food products are sold on bare grounds of which paves way for food contamination.
"We have told the market women to ensure that whatever they sell should be 3ft above ground level. They have to spray the place."
"We began on Monday and we have been able to screen about 171 persons. Two persons have tested positive for Hepatitis B and the other Typhoid. They have been sent to the Ridge Hospital and are receiving treatment"
A staff with the KoKMA, Madam Faustina Asare revealed that the exercise has been challenging adding that some market women resort to fighting and cursing the workers from the Municipal Assembly.
"Well, it has been GHc45 for the past two years and it is just this year that we increased it to GHc50. We take the blood samples to the hospital to test for Typhoid and Hepatitis B. We have to ensure that the people selling are very fit"
She entreated the various Municipal Assembly to embark similar exercises adding that it will not only help save lives of the consumers but also the vendors.
"Having the medical certificate is very important" she added.
Some market women who spoke to Thinknewsonline.com commended the Municipal Assembly for the initiative.
They, therefore called on the Municipal Assembly to reduce the amount charged for the periodic health screening.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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