Civic body blames unlicensed food stalls and hawkers for poor immunity of citizens
Civic body blames unlicensed food stalls and hawkers for poor immunity of citizens
You may have to pack your evening snack from home if the PMC goes ahead with its planned crackdown on roadside food stalls in order to check swine flu.
City doctors have questioned the PMC health department'su00a0 logic for shutting down unlicensed food stalls because they reportedly sell junk food in unhygienic conditions, which, according to the civic body, contributes to lowering immunity of those who eat at such stalls, including children. Health officer Dr RR Pardeshi, the PMC's health officer, argues that ingredients used by unlicensed hawkers bypass the civic body's scrutiny and could therefore be of substandard quality.
Unhygienic
"Stall-owners store food in unhygienic conditions. People spit in the same places that they eat. If they are licensed they are open to inspections. We train them in basic hygiene and they know they would lose their licences if they did not adhere to standards. It is telling that out of 713 students in Pune who contracted swine flu, over 80 per cent are from private schools, who are in the habit of eating street food. Students in municipal schools have better immunity as they mostly eat at home, as they can't afford to eat out," said Pardeshi.
City doctors however said the PMC should concentrate on spreading useful information on hygiene instead of frivolous drives.
"How do hawkers harm immunity? Building and maintaining immunity is no child's play. It is not affected by a small evening snack. I don't understand the logic of it all," said Dr Anil Bhandwalkar, president, General Practioners Association.
Not scientific
Dr Sanjay Pujari, director, Institute of Infectious Disease and consultant at Ruby Hall Clinic, said there was no scientific data that supports the PMC's contention that junk food makes one particularly susceptible to swine flu infections.
"Firstly, H1N1 spreads only through the respiratory route. There is no evidence to show that people who are immuno-compromised will get infected faster. Eating a dosa at a roadside stall once in a while does not affect one's immunity," said Pujari.
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