Hanover Health Department orders three food establishments closed

WESTERN BUREAU:

WITH SANITARY conditions at food establishments being the main topic of discussion across Jamaica over the last week, the Hanover Health Department (HHD), in keeping with its mandate to oversee the sanitary conditions at all food establishments in the parish, has ordered closed three large food establishments in the Green Island area.

This was disclosed by Fritz Francis, acting chief public health inspector (PHI) in the Hanover Health Services, while tabling a report at the Hanover Municipal Corporation’s (HMC) monthly meeting in Lucea, Hanover, last week.

Francis, who gave a comprehensive report about the health situation in the parish, and the actions being taken by his department to ensure that healthy conditions prevail, outlined that he has a permanent staff complement of 17 public health inspectors.

“The team continues to monitor food establishments across the parish, and also the status of food handlers. As such, a total of 230 inspections were carried out at 213 food establishments across the parish, with 33 per cent (of the establishments) deemed unsatisfactory,” he stated.

“I must say that a joint operation was conducted with the health department and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and from that operation, three of our larger food establishments were found wanting and were ordered closed immediately,” the acting chief PHI stated.

He pointed out that some 463 food handlers were checked over the last month, 82 of whom were found operating without the necessary permits.

“Those persons were advised to visit the nearest health centre at the earliest possible time for certification or re-certification, whichever is necessary,” he said.

Although the conditions might not have been the same, the closure of the Hanover food establishments brings to mind the recent closure of Crab Circle in Heroes Circle, Kingston, because of unsanitary conditions.

Francis noted that the Hanover health team also continues to conduct health education activities, especially in what the HHD considers the high-risk areas of the parish.

Serious about food safety

Councillors in the HMC, while commending Francis for the actions the public health inspectors have taken, warned against any situation like the Crab Circle incident occurring in the parish. They questioned how vigilant the PHIs are with respect to individual street food sellers in the parish.

“We [at the HHD] remain very vigilant, with food safety as our flagship programme,” Francis emphasised.

He noted that within the HHD they are very serious about food safety, and are always guided by public health food handling standards and regulations that are in place.

He mentioned that the HHD will be embarking on a number of joint interventions with other agencies, such as the JCF, as it was during one such intervention that the undesirable situations at the three food establishments were discovered.

“We will continue to be vigilant, and we will continue to partner with other agencies to ensure that the residents of Hanover have safe food,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Lucea and Chairman of the HMC, Sheridan Samuels, called on the acting chief public health inspector to do some checks at the back of the Lucea Food and Meat Market, as he claimed that some unsavory things are happening there.