LAHORE, Sept 19: Food handlers at various hotels and restaurants in the city have been found suffering from contagious diseases, claim the district food authorities who have already launched a campaign for a thorough medical check-up and vaccination of the staff.

Three waiters at The Mall branch of a Karachi food chain were reported to be infected with tuberculosis and hepatitis during medical examination, says District Food Officer Chaudhry Munir Ahmad. Another was found suffering from a contagious disease at a Nila Gumbad eatery.

The blood testing of cooks and waiters is being conducted under a decision taken by District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood on Aug 21. Notices to all eateries had been dispatched by Aug 26 and the proprietors had been given two weeks for submitting health certificates of their food handlers issued by recognised medical laboratories.

The employees had, however, been terminated from their services by the proprietors, adds Chaudhry Munir who is collecting the medical examination reports from the food outlets.

There are also reports that almost 50 percent of the staff at M.M. Alam Road restaurants has disturbed liver enzymes level. However, not more than 20 per cent of them are carriers of hepatitis viruses, sources say.

The district food officer says the test reports being submitted by the eateries will be got verified.

He warns that those not submitting the reports even after a 15-day grace period will be closed down under section 141 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 2001. —AMJAD MAHMOOD