PHIs to inspect Dansal

Nadira Gunatilleke

All Dansal organisers should ensure optimum hygiene in their Dansalas during Vesak . They should not employ cooks and other persons who suffer from communicable diseases.

They should obtain water only from clean water resources. Dansal organisers should take all necessary steps to ensure cleanliness and proper hygienic conditions of food served to the public, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman during the past a large number of incidents were reported where people fell sick after eating unhygienic food from Vesak Dansal organised by various persons and organizations.

People who had meals from Dansal were affected by food poisoning, diarrhea, etc during the past. Therefore the Health Ministry has instructed Public Health Inspectors to inspect Dansal and make sure that people get hygienic food.

Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatilleke has already instructed the Public Health Unit of the Health Ministry to make arrangements to ensure hygienic food is served at various Dansal organised countrywide during next the few days.

Accordingly the Unit will make arrangements to inspect Dansal, he said .

The Health Ministry also requests all Dansal organizers to make sure that they do not dispose yogurt and ice cream cups, used lunch sheets, etc in an inappropriate way creating dengue mosquito breeding grounds. The prevailing rainy weather especially in the Western Province could pose a dengue threat, he added.