The North Western Province (NWP) Health Ministry has directed all MOHs in both the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts, to crack down on hotels, canteens, inns, and eateries in the NWP as about 742 complaints have been received against these places where food with low-quality standards is served to consumers.
Some hoteliers have provided meals with cockroaches, plastic bits, nails and cigarette butts. Some sweetmeats have been found with dead lizards, weevils, etc. by consumers.
D. G. Rathnayake, a PHI of Giribawa in Kurunegala, told the media that 28 PHIs have been deployed by the NWP Health Ministry to conduct sudden raids on errant bakery owners, hotel owners and school canteen keepers within next two weeks.
About 14 school students and 211 garment factory girls were reported to have fallen ill due to food-poisoning after consuming unfit food during the last three months, from the NWP. Some bakery owners have not obtained a MC from the Regional Director of Health for manufacturing their products. It is a punishable offence according to the existing laws of the Food Act in Sri Lanka, PHI Rathnayake added.
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