August 24, 2006	Thursday	Rajab 28, 1427

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LAHORE, Aug 23: The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has decided to take a start from five-star hotels and known restaurants for blood testing of their kitchen staff as authorities are formulating a schedule for the purpose.

A plan is underway to place inspection books at each eatery for maintaining medical record of the kitchen staff.

The books had earlier been placed at hotels and restaurants back in 1996 and the then district health officer was asked to inspect these food outlets at least quarterly. But the system was not maintained and inspections were discontinued after a couple of years when, instead of any health or food department, the chief sanitary inspector was found carrying out the inspections, officials said.

EDO (health) Dr Inamul Haq says cooks and waiters will have to go through medical examination at least twice a year as medical officers are likely to be directed to collect their blood samples on the spot for screening of hepatitis and other contagious diseases. Their personal hygiene will also be examined.

The samples will be forwarded to the Munshi Hospital for conducting tests.

He says that medical fitness certificates from social security hospitals (as some hotel employees have social security cover), etc., will be acceptable after confirming their validity.

The district authorities are also preparing a model certificate which will also include national identity card number of the person concerned.

District food officer Munir Ahmad says at least 765 hotels and restaurants in the city had been issued notices in May in which the condition of medical examination of the kitchen staff had also been included as a condition for their food licences.

All the seven food inspectors will be assigned the task to check maintenance of inspection books, he adds.

Meanwhile, district nazim Mian Amer Mahmood has directed the EDO (works) for submitting a timeframe for ensuring completion of ongoing development projects by December besides getting approval for Annual Development Programme schemes from the District Development Committee by Aug 31.

He said information regarding progress on ongoing projects right from the approval of the DDC, release of funds till the completion should also be made available on the CDGL web site.

In view of the public complaints regarding collection of Trade and Vocation Licence Fee by different tiers of the local bodies, Mian Amer underlined the need for devising a uniform mechanism for its collection.

The matter should be placed before the district consultative committee, comprising the district and all town nazims, for avoiding duplicity of taxation and thus inconvenience to shopkeepers, etc.

The district government is also planning to set up 300 bus shelters for commuters as so far 42 of them have been built.

The district nazim directed cleanliness of these bus shelters as well as arrangements for checking their illegal occupancy. The Solid Waste Management Department will take care of the task.

He also directed a regular exercise against vendors encroaching upon both sides of Canal Bank Road and submitting a daily progress report to his office in this regard.