Dimapur, July 25 (MExN): The Dimapur administration is requested by the office of the chief medical officer for Dimapur, to revoke the deputy commissioner’s ban-order issued yesterday against “medical fitness fee.” The CMO explained that although the PFA rules are “silent” over any fee to be exacted, “the competent authority of the concerned department permits fees for medical examination.”
The fee was reported to be charged by the Health department from business establishments over medical examinations. The CMO today addressed a letter to the deputy commissioner of Dimapur over the “sudden” ban of medical examination fees. Chief Medical Officer Dr. K Solo explained to the DC that “a reasonable amount is charged.” The CMO acknowledged the said fee, but “Though the rule 6 of Nagaland and PFA Rule 1985 clause (a) & (b) Part III is silent over the issue of permission or non-permission of the medical examination fees, the competent authority of the concerned department permits fees for medical examination.”
Explaining the department’s activity, the letter cited as sanction the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rule 1955 (Central) and Nagaland PFA Rule 1985 (it states that no person is to manufacture, sale stock, distribute or exhibit for sale any article of food including prepared or ready to serve food except under PFA/Food license). Accordingly, the CMO office has been issuing PFA licenses to all food sellers and for this, license fees are being collected ‘for government revenues as prescribed in Schedule I and II of Nagai and PFA Rule 1985.’
The CMO also stated that the administration could have consulted the department in concern before imposing a blanket ban on the medical examination fees. “The said medical examination is being carried out in order to prevent the spread of diseases from the food handlers to the consumers/public as practice throughout the state. Authorized medical team is compelled to go from spot to spot as diseased food handlers usually try to avoid medical examination posing high health risk to consumers in particular and the public in general,” the CMO explained.
The CMO requests the administration to revoke the ban order in the interest of public health at the earliest “to prevent the possible incidence of an epidemic outbreak of preventable communicable diseases especially during the summer season.”
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