Health Watch

Is five star drinking water safe?

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Health Ministry is in the process of testing drinking water available in all hotels, restaurants and super markets in the country

Drinking water is one of the most important things for human beings. It is second only to fresh air. Therefore no need of stressing the importance of safe drinking water and the water we use to prepare our food.

Tap water

But when considering the large number of public complaints flowing into the Health Ministry, we have to double check the standards of water used by hotels and restaurants and all the other eating houses in cities. We have to be careful about the water they use especially when it comes to Colombo city and suburbs.

Drinking water

We must check manufacture and expiry dates including the sealed bottled top before buying bottles drinking water. The registered number printed in the neck area of the plastic water bottle is another important piece of information.

This is the only way of ensuring the safety of bottled drinking water. Water taken from tube wells located inside hotel premises is not healthy to drink. This applies to all hotels and restaurants located inside big cities, especially Colombo. Consumers should keep this piece of information in mind.

During an official visit, I found one restaurant located in the Anuradhapura city which sold refilled bottle water. This means after using the original water bottle (filled by a registered company), the restaurant itself filled the same bottle with tap/well water and sold to consumers who visited the restaurant. The bottles did not have sealed tops. It was obvious that the water was contaminated with foreign particles and other stuff floating inside the bottle. The same problems exist at Sigiriya.

Ministry inspection

The Ministry commenced this inspection after receiving a significant number of complaints from the public on unhygienic water available at those places. The hotels and restaurants may look fine from the outer appearance but they may be using water coming from toilets to cook food!

Health Ministry sources revealed that both bottled drinking water and the water available at hotels, restaurants and other eating houses to be examined during this process. The ministry authorities test the water at site and also collect samples for further investigation. The ministry has already been collected samples from around 100 eating houses in Colombo.

Further investigation

Bottled water

Both bottled drinking water and water available at hotels, restaurants and other eating houses to be examined during this process. The ministry authorities test the water at site and also collect samples for further investigation. The ministry has already been collected samples from around 100 eating houses in Colombo.

A large number of complaints had been received by the ministry from the public on unsafe drinking/cooking water. Some eating houses use tube well water and it is not recommended to use tube well water in cities because the water beds of cities have already been contaminated due to under ground sewage systems. Therefore cities should always use pipe born purified water provided by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.

There were a lot of public complaints against bottled drinking water. Some bottles contain an amount of chlorine beyond the recommended limit and some bottles do not have sealed top and the manufacturing and expiry dates.

Some bottles available in rural areas have water filled from local sources (tap or well water without purification). Bottled drinking water is healthy. But not refilled or unregistered bottled drinking water.

The manufacturing and expiry dates are a must for bottled drinking water. The bottle tops should be with sealed cover. It is up to the consumers to double check drinking water bottles before paying money.

School bags - health issue

Edward Arambewala

An epidemiological research was carried out in a representative district of Sri Lanka with the participation of 1,607 school children on Ergonomic factors in the educational environment and their influence on school-going early adolescents.

School bags on display

This was stated by Family Health Bureau Health Schoolbag project coordinator and Consultant community physician Dr Kapila Jayaratne when speaking to Daily News Health Watch.

Research findings

Many children experienced discomfort due to sub-standard seating arrangements in the classroom. A significant proportion had to turn their necks to see the blackboard. Seating locations were not changed for many children.

There is wide-spread incompatibilities of classroom furniture with anthropometric dimensions of children Majority of children perceived discomfort due to mismatched furniture There were gross deficiencies with regard to carrying school bags. Deficiencies were noted in weight, model, ergonomic features and the carrying behaviour.

Children experienced several negative effects, such as muscular-skeletal pain, attributable to mismatched ergonomic factors Research outcomes further revealed that a majority of children carried bags with unhealthy features and they were too heavy according to international standards. Text books and other writing books accounted for more than two thirds of the school bag weight. Bag behaviour was not healthy. Many children reported negative health consequences. It is evident that a 'big health issue' exists in Sri Lankan schools with regard to carriage of school bags. These findings necessitated formulation of feasible solutions with the involvement of major stakeholders.

We considered it important to translate research findings into action. We adopted three strategies" Dissemination of research findings

Provision of feasible solutions Advocacy.

Research findings necessitated identification of priority areas and formulation of feasible solutions to improve the current status. Taking into account, several factors including feasibility of implementation and acceptability by the adolescents and their parents, it was considered that issues related to schoolbags should be a priority area for intervention.

Solutions were contemplated on - strategies for bag-weight reduction, introduction of a model healthy bag and bag behaviour changes.

The main conclusions were shared with Education Ministry and other stakeholders. Dissemination of research findings through multitude of mass media sensitized students, teachers, parents, general public and administrators of health and education sectors.

Research outcomes were even shared at international forums to obtain further inputs and update good practice evidence. Solutions were contemplated on; strategies for bag weight reduction, introduction of a model healthy bag and bag behaviour change.

When findings and recommended solutions were shared with the Education Ministry for education authorities themselves to find solutions to heavy schoolbag. Education Publication Department Commissioner W M N J Pushpakumara took the lead role. He initiated another research project to be undertaken to explore strategies to lighten the schoolbag. Text books were split in to several volumes. Only page-80 exercise books were recommended.

Introduction of the model school bag

The need for modelling a healthy schoolbag was imperative. Inputs were obtained from the International Ergonomic Association and from consultations with experts. Healthy bags designed ergonomically in other countries were also studied.

School Health Unit of FHB, for their role, initiated designing a model school bag. Dr Kapila Jayaratne, being a member of the Technical Committee of International Ergonomic Association on Ergonomics for Child Educational Environments (ECEE), consulted several international ergonomic experts on healthy features of a bag.

Several bag models were studied and a sample schoolbag with ergonomic features was manufactured to suit Sri Lankan contexts.

School bags on display

The model bag was evaluated by a team of experts including Paediatricians, Orthopaedic Surgeons, Community Physicians, Psycho-ergonomic consultants and Physiotherapists. It was field-tested at a Colombo suburb school and children, teachers and principals responded on local adaptability.

Our bag

A healthy schoolbag adapted for Sri Lankan children was modelled according to ergonomic standards. This sample bag was locally manufactured based on an ergonomically designed healthy bags approved by the Australian Chiropractic Association.

Once the sample bag was evaluated by experts and children, recommendations were sent to the Education Ministry. Sri Lanka Standards Institute was consulted for physical quality assurance.

Registration of bag manufacturers

Bag manufacturers were registered by the Education Ministry and they were educated on the healthy bag concept.

A successful awareness program for bag manufacturers on healthy schoolbag was held. More than 400 manufacturers from all over Sri Lanka on participated at this meeting. Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, described the research background: focusing on burden of the problem, why the ergonomic features are essential to safeguard health of children and what is expected from local manufacturers. Sri Lanka Standards Institute Chamari Geeganage explained physical quality aspects and the process of developing standards on schoolbag. Scientific Affairs (Senior) Minster Prof Tissa Vitarana elaborated on registration procedure, evaluation of bags by the National Advisory Committee on Schoolbag, the process of awarding logo of the 'healthy schoolbag' and post-market surveillance system for quality assurance.

The project was pioneered under the supervisory guidance of Prof Dulitha Fernando.

Induction of Dr Pranitha Somaratne

Induction of Dr Pranitha Somaratne as the President of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists for the year 2010/11 took place recently. Here Dr Omala Wimalarathne (right) outgoing President congratulates Dr Pranitha Somaratne on her induction as President of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists.

Dr Shantha Hettiarachchi launches two books

Two new books written by Dr Shantha Hettiarachchi, have been published recently. The book in Sinhala, named Sexually transmitted infections, sexuality and society was published by Wijesuriya publishers. The book in English named Towards Healthy Living was published by Godage publishers.

The problems related to sexually transmitted infections and sexuality in the country were extensively discussed with the available solutions in the book of Sexually transmitted infections, sexuality and society under twenty different topics, medically and socially.

The author in his preface to the book, says that patients seeking solutions to problems related to sexuality or sexually transmitted infections, were the key resources of most chapters of this book. Professor Carlo Fonseka in his foreword states that the author's objective is to spread awareness to the people by using his clinical experiences.

Current common health topics, including HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, illegal abortions, drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco smoking, stress, non communicable diseases, diabetes mellitus, medically unexplained symptoms, vitamins and food supplements, drug consumption, sleep, flu, cervical cancer, food and water borne diseases, thalassaemia and leprosy were discussed in the book of Towards Healthy Living.

The author says in his preface that the purpose of writing this book is to provide simple and practical guidelines for a happy life.

Edwin Ariyadasa, media consultant has mentioned in the foreword to the book, that although some of these subjects may emerge into, sudden prominence, making them 'topical' they represent perpetual concerns of the society and in consequence, the articles Dr Shantha Hettirachchi has anthologized in this publication have a perennial value.

He further says that this is the kind of book, that every institution and every home should possess, for ready reference.

Foreword to Towards Healthy Living - Edwin Ariyadasa

Dr Shantha Hettiarachchi has earned a well deserved reputation as an outstanding communicator of essential information, relating primarily to the fields of Health and Medicine. Making ample use of print and electronic media, Dr Shantha Hettiarachchi, has continued steadily to build awareness among various publics, about issues that are centrally important for the achievement of the ideal of healthy living.

Most of the articles he contributes to print media and many of the talks he presents through Radio and Television, tend to possess a special contemporary relevance. This is largely because he concentrates mostly on issues of topical interest.

Although some of these subjects may emerge into, sudden prominence, making them 'topical', they represent perpetual concerns of society. In consequence, the articles Dr Shantha has anthologized in this publication titled Towards Healthy Living, have a perennial value.

What is of high significance about this publication is, that, the subject-matter of the articles is wholly authentic. As an outcome of this guaranteed reliability, the readers of this book can utilize the information given in it, with complete confidence.

Over the years, Dr Shantha has amassed knowledge and expertise, through his professional postings and his extensive participation in seminars, workshops and Training Courses- both here and abroad. Capacity for communication is almost a built-in facet of his personality. His continued association with the Health Education Bureau Mass Communication and Publicity Coordinator offered him a vantage point to obtain an in-depth awareness of the practical aspects of communication.

The history of his own practice of communication is fairly long-spanning several decades. By providing vital information with stark responsibility, about matters relating to Health and Medicine, Dr Shantha performs a praiseworthy public service.

His article on Sexually Transmitted Infections is a case in point. This is an area overwhelmed with fallacies and misconceptions - especially because public discourse is rare, about this kind of issue. In his clearly articulated exposition on STI, Dr Shantha dispels the misunderstandings that have plagued the irresponsible public discussions about this issue. Dr Shantha's book is replete with guidelines that indicate the path Towards Healthy Living.

This is the kind of book, that every institution and every home should possess, for ready reference. I am quite certain that, Dr Shantha Hettirachchi's services to the country as an articulate and responsible communicator on vital issues related to Healthy Living, will always be forthcoming for the 'good of the many-for the well-being of the many'.

Correction and Clarification

It was Prof Gita Fernando

The correct spelling of the name of the author of the article titled Use of antibiotics that appeared in this page last week was Gita Fernando, we were informed by the author.