Islamabad’s roadside barbers pose a major health risk

Published October 24, 2014
A BARBER’S paraphernalia lies exposed on his roadside stall. Most such barbers do not change blades regularly.—Photo by the writer
A BARBER’S paraphernalia lies exposed on his roadside stall. Most such barbers do not change blades regularly.—Photo by the writer

ISLAMABAD: Twenty-two year old Basharat Ali wakes up early each morning, but rather than going to work, he visits the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where he is being treated for hepatitis.

Basharat has been unable to work for two weeks, spending most of his time at his rented flat or at the hospital.

Before contracting the illness, he used to work as a mechanic at a workshop in sector G-9. “I started feeling unwell and went to the hospital for a check-up and was told that I had contracted hepatitis from a barber’s razorblade,” he says.

He says that he had been going to roadside barbers for many years because of the nominal rates. “These barbers are also conveniently located near my workplace,” he adds.

“You can understand how difficult it is for a poor man like me to survive in an expensive city like Islamabad. A roadside barber is the only kind of grooming I can afford,” he laments.


Customers risk contracting hepatitis, tuberculosis or even Aids from unregulated roadside barbers


He says that such barbers charge Rs 40 to 50 for a haircut and Rs 30 for a shave or trimming the beard.

“It is unfortunate that the barber I went to did not care to use a fresh razorblade, and now I am suffering,” he says, his tone expressing disappointment.

Mohammad Shahid, a barber working in sector I-10 says that the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), a department of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), has directed all barbers to obtain a fitness certificate after being tested for hepatitis, TB and Aids.

“Although, it is mandatory for all barbers operating in the federal capital to get fitness certificates but the DHS had failed to implement this on the roadside barbers,” Shahid says.

Muhammad Waqas, a barber from Sheikhupura, has been offering services near Jinnah Super Market for almost a year.

“Although this is a posh locality, there are dozens of people who visit roadside shops like mine for haircuts and shaves,” he says.

“While barber shops charge a minimum of Rs 120 for a cut and Rs 80 for a shave, I charge much less,” he explains.

He says that he uses a new razorblade for every customer, but does not have the required fitness certificate.

Ilyas Khan, a roadside barber in I-9 has been operating at the same spot for five years. “I used to work at a barber shop but it was difficult to make ends meet on my salary, so I set up my own business. I work close to the industrial area so dozens of labourers come to me every day,” he says.

“I make Rs 800 to 1000 everyday but I don’t have a medical certificate,” he admits.

According to roadside barbers around 20 to 30 others like them can be found in each sector of the capital and none of them have medical certificates, while hundreds avail their services each day.

Dr. Sharif Astori, a medical officer at the Polyclinic Hospital, explains that medical certificates are required from barbers in Islamabad to prevent, infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, C and TB.

Dr. Astori emphasises the need for DHS to ensure that the requirement for the certificate is not ignored. “Barbers work in close proximity to customers so there is chance that they can transmit infections,” he says.

“It is wrong to allow someone to make money without any regard for a customer’s health. There should be no compromise on health,” he adds.

Dr. Hasan Orooj, Director Health Services at the CDA agrees that such barbers pose a health risk as they often overlook hygiene and sanitisation.

“There is a need to raise awareness among people about the health risks so that they themselves demand the barber uses a new razorblade every time,” he says, adding that the department issues notices to such barbers by using their CNIC numbers as they don’t have proper to shops to deliver notices to.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014

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