Suhum Assembly screens food vendors

The Suhum Municipal Assembly in conjunction with Environmental Health and Syband Association, a Non-Governmental organisation (NGO), has started registering operators in the food industry to enable them undergo medical screening before selling to the public.

Beneficiaries include roadside food vendors, chop bar keepers, restaurant operators, and iced-water sellers.

The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr John Boakye disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the registration exercise at the Suhum Community Center at the weekend.

According to him, the exercise is conducted every year in the three zones of the Municipality, comprising Akorabo, Nankese and Suhum; adding that last year, 3,450 food vendors in the Municipality were registered.

Mr. Boakye said a day’s workshop on personal hygiene, environmental cleanliness, preparation of hygienic food and the need for continuous hand washing, as well as factors that lead to contamination of food was organised for the vendors prior to the screening exercise.

He said after the medical screening and laboratory test, those found to be sick would be referred to hospitals for treatment and those in good health would be certified to sell.

He added that due to the intensive health education carried out by the Municipal Assembly and the Environmental Health Department, only one suspected cholera case was recorded in the Municipality last year.