Expressing concern over the government’s move to assign the responsibility of food sampling and adulteration checks under the Food Safety and Standards Act to medical officers, the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS) Association has said that most doctors were neither trained nor equipped to carry out such tasks.
In an October 7 communication to additional chief secretary, health, the HCMS association said the food sampling involved technical sampling procedures, documentation, and compliance with intricate legal protocols. “Food sampling process has significant legal implications, and any procedural lapse, even inadvertent, could lead to complications, including the possibility of litigation. The absence of formal training and standardised operating procedures exposes both the concerned officers and the department to unnecessary risks,’’ said the communication.
HCMS general secretary, Dr Anil Yadav said that under the current arrangement, medical officers are expected to seek directions from designated class Il officers who are junior in official hierarchy to the doctors. “This not only creates an administrative anomaly but is also contrary to established government protocol. Such an arrangement undermined the professional standing of medical officers and may lead to practical difficulties and confusion in coordination, accountability, and chain of command. Furthermore, food adulteration is a highly sensitive public health issue which demands a specialised, robust and dedicated mechanism for effective food safety enforcement rather than resorting to temporary or makeshift arrangements,’’ the association said.
Citing shortage of food safety officers, the food and drugs administration had on October 3 asked the civil surgeons to direct deputy civil surgeons, senior medical officers in-charge of sub divisional hospitals and community health centres and medical officers in-charge of primary health centres who had been notified as food safety officers to take food samples particularly milk products during the festival season.
{{/usCountry}}Citing shortage of food safety officers, the food and drugs administration had on October 3 asked the civil surgeons to direct deputy civil surgeons, senior medical officers in-charge of sub divisional hospitals and community health centres and medical officers in-charge of primary health centres who had been notified as food safety officers to take food samples particularly milk products during the festival season.
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