Puducherry observed World Health Day with several programmes on the World Health Organization-observed theme of ‘Food Safety’ on Tuesday.
The Department Of Public Health Dentistry and the NSS unit of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Science in association with the Puducherry Municipality, organised a health camp at Gandhi Thidal.
Around 100 sanitation workers of the Puducherry Municipality were vaccinated against Hepatitis B, according to a press release from the organisers. Oral health screening was done for around 500 people, it said. Pamphlets were distributed on food safety standards among food vendors around Beach Road. The programme was attended by Local Administration Department Director P.T. Rudra Goud and Puducherry Municipality Commissioner R. Chandirasekaran.
Various aspects of food safety were discussed at the panel discussion organised by the Institution of Public Health Engineers India – Chennai Puducherry Regional Centre, with the Vinayaka Missions Sikkim University, in association with the Public Works Department.
“The food chain parameters from the agricultural field to the dining table like avoiding pesticides, artificial ripening using carbides, prevention of contamination require continuous advocacy and a sustainable Information Education Communication strategy,” said Local Administration Minister N.G. Pannirselvam at the programme, according to a press release.