-also warns of strict action against unregistered physicians
THE Ministry of Health is reminding wholesalers and retailers that observance of safety standards and appropriate labelling of products are requirements, and is warning defaulting medical practitioners that registration and licensing are required for the practice of their profession, threatening termination and police action if this is not adhered to.
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has informed the media of these issues as well as the ministry’s successes in its bid to control communicable diseases, dengue and malaria.
It was observed that many supermarkets, grocers and market vendors are still selling goods that are not appropriately labelled or handled in hygienic conditions, with milk products being singled out on this occasion by the minister.
He noted that milk which is sold in clear plastic raises much concern for the ministry as there is a possibility that the product is no longer usable due to its exposure to light and the possible unsanitary manner in which it might have been handled during packaging. The minister further noted that should a consumer experience a problem with the product, there would be no way for the authorities to track these products as there would be no label.
The ministry discourages these practices and signals to people that the law demands that packaged products have labels on them, and warns of more vigilance.
However, it was recognised that adequate human resources are not available, so every shop, vendor and supermarket cannot be checked at present to ensure compliance, but the minister urged consumers to be vigilant as they are the most effective means of enforcement at present.
Effective and correct labelling is also essential and the ministry is seeking to enforce this.
The ministry will also be looking for the manufacturer’s name on the label of products, along with the distributor’s name and is now demanding that this be observed, so as to enable easy tracking.
The ministry will soon begin hosting a televised 10-minute programme once per month, with a particular product, whereby the panel will scrutinise labels so that consumers will know exactly what to look for.
Consumers are being urged to work along with the Food and Drug Department to ensure that stores, supermarkets, shops, grocers and market vendors are all following the rules.

Registration deadline for physicians

Meanwhile, the minister pointed out that medical practitioners in the public sector who are not registered by the end of this month will be terminated and the names of those in the private sector will be turned over to the police for practising their profession illegally.
This action will necessitate the practitioner re-registering and restarting the employment process.
He stated that in accordance with the law, renewal of licences is January 31, and for physicians who have not yet registered with the Medical Council, or who have not renewed their licences, it means that they would be practising illegally.
However, the ministry has given permission to the Medical Council for late registration and licensing, but physicians would have to pay for this.
The Chief Medical Officer is at present preparing a list of all physicians employed in the public sector and their registration status, and anyone who is not registered either before January or through the late registration process, by the end of March, the ministry will advise the public service to terminate his/her employment.

Dengue and Malaria

The ministry has conducted more testing this year but with fewer recorded positive cases, indicative of the success of the measures that have been put in place.
At the end of the etymological eight-week monitoring, at this time last year, there were 231 cases of dengue.  At the same period this year, there were 91 cases,” Ramsammy said.
The impact of Climate Change has been leading to regional increases in the disease in recent times, but Guyana’s efforts have been shielding it from the increases being seen throughout the Americas.
Teams will be visiting homes where cases of dengue are suspected and the ministry is again appealing to Guyanese to take all precautions to avoid this communicable disease.
In the case of malaria, there has been an annual reduction since 2005, and this year up, to the end of the eight-week period, there has been a reduction of 20% from last year’s figure of 3,300 to that of 2,000 for the same period.
The ministry continues to provide support to the regions in their struggle to control the disease, and the goal remains that, by 2012, there will be fewer than 8,000 recorded cases of malaria, and the minister advised that they are not deterred by the challenges of 2010 and the temporary reversal of the declining trajectory.