Gulf | Qatar
Qatar plan to check food-borne diseases
There were about 1,600 cases of food-borne diseases reported to the local emergency wards in the first eight months of 2007.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:30 September 2, 2007
Doha: The health authorities are working on a food safety and quality strategy following growing number of food-borne illnesses, local media said here on Sunday.
There were about 1,600 cases of food-borne diseases reported to the local emergency wards in the first eight months of 2007, a dramatic rise if compared to the 200 cases of 2004, experts warned.
Poor hygiene conditions of food handlers and outlets, as well as unsafe storage methods are the main causes, the local daily Peninsula reported the officials as saying.
"The data available with the National Health Authority seems to be just the tip of an iceberg," said Dr Saeed Shah, head of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Department, adding there is a severe under reporting of the food-borne infections in the country.
Alarming rate
According to Dr Shah, the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar's largest medical facility, has received over 300 cases of food-borne diseases in a single day.
The average annual rate of such cases reported at the institution is an alarming 3,000, he said.
Addressing a workshop aimed at studying a new national strategy for food safety, officials at the National Health Authority said the most common pathogens responsible for food poisoning here are salmonella, whose incidence is particularly high in the summer, shigella and campylobacter that spread through the consumption of contaminated food and water.
Outbreaks can occur at schools, labour camps, fast food centres, and also five-star restaurants mainly due to unsafe storage temperatures and conditions.
In the food-handling sector alone, HMC detected about 4,000 labourers unfit for work due to poor health in 2006. Supermarkets were also targeted by the authorities' inspections which led to the temporary closure of popular outlets such as The Centre supermarket and the butchery of Carrefour at the City Centre Mall.
But some officials also pointed a finger at the lack of coordination among concerned governmental departments.
"Qatar's food safety programme is jointly managed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and the National Health Authority. However, regarding the implementation of food safety norms, there is confusion regarding who should do what," Dr Michel Kevin Walsh, Chief Executive of the National Health Authority said.
The workshop's recommendations will be brought to the attention of the higher authorities to improve and update the current food safety polices and monitoring strategies.
Share this article
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
Anti-terror force enlisted for Haj
Saudi Arabia's special anti-terror force has for the first time joined security forces deployed for Haj duties with the pilgrimage beginning on Wednesday
-
English to stay as medium of instruction
Lack of funding of scientific research in Arab world criticised
-
Global Village opens with a revamped layout
Four gates will have themes making it easier to find specific pavilions
