September 24, 2006
Syed Akbar
A majority of Indians are malnourished. Even those who consume sufficient quantity of food suffer from malnutrition because they don not get well-balanced food. Nationwide surveys by Central government agencies over the years reveal that Indians, including those living in urban areas, suffer from common nutrition problems like protein energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies (vitamin A, iron, iodine and vitamin B-complex).
Keeping this in view, the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition has come out with a Nutrition Manual containing dietary guidelines for Indians, particularly adolescent girls and pregnant women. The guidelines give a broad perspective on the present nutritional scenario in the country, besides suggesting the type of food one should take for healthy, long and happy life. The nutrition quota differs from person to person depending on the amount and type of work he or she undertakes. It also varies depending on age and sex.
The nutrition guidelines assume importance in the backdrop of the poor health scenario in several parts of the country. About one-third of infants born are low in weight i.e. less than 2.5 kgs. This is as against less than 10 per cent of low birth weights recorded in developed countries including small nations like Israel. It was also noticed that two per cent of nursery school children in the country suffer from severe and florid forms of protein energy malnutrition leading to health problems like Kwashiorkor and marasmus.
Health surveys reveal that children below five years suffer from sub-clinical under-nutrition resulting in low weight for age. This is less than 75 per cent of median weight for age as fixed by the National Centre for Health Statistics. About 65 per cent of these children are stunted (low height for age). Under-nutrition if continued throughout the growing phase of childhood leads to short stature in adults. Half of the adults in the country have body mass index below 18.5, which in other words means chronic energy deficiency.
The dietary goals as envisaged by the NIN include maintenance of a state of positive health and optimal performance in populations at large, ensuring adequate nutritional status for pregnant women and lactating mothers, improving birth weights and promoting growth of infants, children and adolescents to achieve their full genetic potential and preventing chronic diet-related disorders.
The dietary guidelines are: consuming nutritionally adequate diet through a wise choice from a variety of foods; additional food and extra care during pregnancy and lactation; food supplements for infants by four to six months; consumption of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruits in large quantities; moderate use of oils, sugar and salt; avoidance of processed and ready-to-eat foods; and adequate amounts of water.
According to NIN, a balanced diet should provide around 60 to 70 per cent of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably starch, about 10-12 per cent from proteins and 20-25 per cent from fat.
Nutrient dense low fat foods are recommended for old people for being physically active and healthy. Nutritionally adequate diet with extra food for child bearing/rearing women for maintenance of health productivity and prevention of diet-related disease and to support pregnancy/lactation.
Body-building and protective foods are recommended for adolescents for growth spurt, maturation and bone development. For children's growth, development and to fight infections, energy, body-building and protective food (milk, vegetables and fruits) are recommended. And for infants, breast milk and energy rich foods (fats and sugar) are needed for growth and appropriate milestones.
The balanced diet recommended for an adult man (sedentary) per day is: 20 grams of oil/fats; 25 grams of sugar, 300 grams of milk and milk products, 60 grams of pulses (for vegetarians), 30 grams of pulses, egg/meat/chicken/fish (for non vegetarians), 400 grams of vegetables, 100 grams of fruits and 420 grams of cereals and millets. Elderly people may reduce 90 grams of cereals and millets and add an extra serving of fruit.
In case of women, 300 grams of vegetables, 300 grams of cereals and millets and 20 grams of sugar, besides the other dosage recommended for men.
Half of the people suffer from nutritional anaemia and this is more pronounced in women as 70 to 90 per cent of them are found to be anaemic. Health statistics indicate that anaemia caused due to malnutrition kills over a lakh pregnant women. Coming to iodine deficiency, about 300 million people live in areas where iodine is in short supply. Iodine deficiency leads to problems like goitre, neonatal hypothyroidism, mental retardation, delayed motor development, stunting, deaf-mutism and neuromuscular disorders. Around one lakh still-birth and neonatal deaths occur every year because of deficiency of iodine in mothers.
Studies by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau show that the daily intake of most foods, except cereals and millets (470 grams) is much below the recommended dietary allowances. The diets provide negligible amounts of protective foods like pulses (29 grams) and vegetables.
Consumption of green leafy vegetables and other vegetables (70-80 grams), which are rich sources of micronutrients like beta-carotene, folate, calcium, riboflavin and iron, is woefully inadequate. Intake of visible fat is less than 60 per cent of the RDA.
"The proportion of households with energy inadequacy is 48 per cent while that with protein inadequacy is 20 per cent. Thus, in the cereal/millet-based Indian dietaries, the primary bottleneck is energy and not protein, as was earlier believed. This dietary energy gap can be easily overcome by increasing the quantities of habitually eaten foods by the poor," the study points out.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
OTC drugs may open Pandora's Box
2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 23: The Central government's decision to allow sale of certain medicines through ordinary grocery stores is likely to open the Pandora's Box.
Health and medical experts are divided over the feasibility of the government's move as a majority of people in the country are illiterate and there's every possibility of the over the counter drugs being misused. Doctors fear that even seemingly harmless medicine like iron tablets will cause severe health complications if it is not stored properly. While those in favour of the government's move argue that over the counter sales would help the poor as they generally do not have access to a general physician.
The Central government has given time till September 26 for people to send in their suggestions and objections on the draft notification for sale of drugs in grocery stores. After September 26, the government will issue a notification after which it becomes law.
"Most of the medical stores in the country do not have proper storage facilities. We can least expect facilities in ordinary grocery stores. In medical shops at least shopkeepers have the knowledge of pharmacy. Unless the government ensures that shopkeepers are properly trained in pharmacy, the over the counter sale of medicines will prove to be harmful than beneficial," argues Dr Bhaktiyar Chowdhury of Hyderabad Spine Clinic.
Even the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association has objected to the government's decision saying that only a few medicines should be sold through grocery stores. It argued that India did not have sufficient number of qualified pharmacists and infrastructure to preserve the drugs well.
At present only grocery stores in villages with less than 1000 population are permitted to sell select medicines. Once the Act comes through, grocery stores all over the country will be able to sell medicines which do not require prescription of a qualified registered medical practitioner.
According to industry sources, despite strict restrictions medicines worth over Rs 5000 crore are sold through over the counter process every year. The segment has been recording an annual growth rate of 12 to 15 per cent and this is precisely the reason why multinational companies are bringing pressure on the Centre to amend Schedule K of Indian Drugs and Pharmaceutical Act to permit sale of medicines through grocery stores.
"Bad storage facilities, wrong prescription and failure to comply with the expiry date can be extremely harmful to patients. The problem does not relate to just serious side effects including death but also to meeting specified bioavailability and bioequivalence criteria of drugs," points out Dr B Murali of Care Hospital.
Ironically, some of the drugs which the government wants to permit through OTC sales are known to cause side effects or have drug interactions and disease interactions. Permission for sale of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gastrointestinal medicines and prochlorperazine will be dangerous to the health of people.
Senior physician Dr S Ramachandra Rao suggests that drastic changes in the labelling practices of over the counter medicines should have to be strictly enforced. OTC drugs should be labelled in local regional and local languages with clear instructions to patients. "It has to be ensured that all OTC drugs specify the correct prescription particularly in case of children like quantity, frequency and duration of the intake," he said.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen and dictlofenac, gastrointestinal drugs like domperidone and loperamide and prochlopreazine may damage kidneys in case of overdose, warns Dr Murali.
Health experts also warn over sale of potentially dangerous drugs like iodochlorohydroxy quinoline, which is banned in many countries but sold in India. This drug is likely to cause blindness. Even anti-malarial drugs and ophthalmic solutions have been proposed for sale through grocery stores.
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 23: The Central government's decision to allow sale of certain medicines through ordinary grocery stores is likely to open the Pandora's Box.
Health and medical experts are divided over the feasibility of the government's move as a majority of people in the country are illiterate and there's every possibility of the over the counter drugs being misused. Doctors fear that even seemingly harmless medicine like iron tablets will cause severe health complications if it is not stored properly. While those in favour of the government's move argue that over the counter sales would help the poor as they generally do not have access to a general physician.
The Central government has given time till September 26 for people to send in their suggestions and objections on the draft notification for sale of drugs in grocery stores. After September 26, the government will issue a notification after which it becomes law.
"Most of the medical stores in the country do not have proper storage facilities. We can least expect facilities in ordinary grocery stores. In medical shops at least shopkeepers have the knowledge of pharmacy. Unless the government ensures that shopkeepers are properly trained in pharmacy, the over the counter sale of medicines will prove to be harmful than beneficial," argues Dr Bhaktiyar Chowdhury of Hyderabad Spine Clinic.
Even the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association has objected to the government's decision saying that only a few medicines should be sold through grocery stores. It argued that India did not have sufficient number of qualified pharmacists and infrastructure to preserve the drugs well.
At present only grocery stores in villages with less than 1000 population are permitted to sell select medicines. Once the Act comes through, grocery stores all over the country will be able to sell medicines which do not require prescription of a qualified registered medical practitioner.
According to industry sources, despite strict restrictions medicines worth over Rs 5000 crore are sold through over the counter process every year. The segment has been recording an annual growth rate of 12 to 15 per cent and this is precisely the reason why multinational companies are bringing pressure on the Centre to amend Schedule K of Indian Drugs and Pharmaceutical Act to permit sale of medicines through grocery stores.
"Bad storage facilities, wrong prescription and failure to comply with the expiry date can be extremely harmful to patients. The problem does not relate to just serious side effects including death but also to meeting specified bioavailability and bioequivalence criteria of drugs," points out Dr B Murali of Care Hospital.
Ironically, some of the drugs which the government wants to permit through OTC sales are known to cause side effects or have drug interactions and disease interactions. Permission for sale of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gastrointestinal medicines and prochlorperazine will be dangerous to the health of people.
Senior physician Dr S Ramachandra Rao suggests that drastic changes in the labelling practices of over the counter medicines should have to be strictly enforced. OTC drugs should be labelled in local regional and local languages with clear instructions to patients. "It has to be ensured that all OTC drugs specify the correct prescription particularly in case of children like quantity, frequency and duration of the intake," he said.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen and dictlofenac, gastrointestinal drugs like domperidone and loperamide and prochlopreazine may damage kidneys in case of overdose, warns Dr Murali.
Health experts also warn over sale of potentially dangerous drugs like iodochlorohydroxy quinoline, which is banned in many countries but sold in India. This drug is likely to cause blindness. Even anti-malarial drugs and ophthalmic solutions have been proposed for sale through grocery stores.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Indians suffer from cardiac ailments 10 years earlier
2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 22: Indians suffer from cardiac ailments 10 years before people of other countries develop them. And if the World Health Organisation report is any indication, about 60 per cent of all heart patients in the world will be in India in the next six years.
A research study has now been taken up to find out the reasons for the high prevalence of heart diseases in Asian countries, particularly India. Scientists and researchers have thus far been baffled by the mystery behind heart attacks in people who are not bracketed under high risk groups and who do not have "social vices" like smoking and drinking.
Apollo Hospitals have tied up with John Hopkins to identify the causes responsible for cardiac risk among Indians. The study will find out whether a particular gene is behind heart attacks.
Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy told reporters here on Friday said there was possibly a genetic predisposition to heart diseases among Indian, but the precise cause was still elusive.
"Risk factors that are often associated with heart diseases like hypertension, smoking, high total serum cholesterol and high fat diet do not seem to fully account for the high incidence of the disease in Indians. The disease process also differs in Indians as the coronary vessels are diffusely affected while in other ethnic groups the coronary arteries are more discretely affected. High incidence of diabetes and low levels of good cholesterol with high levels of triglycerides may partially address the high risk of heart diseases in Indians but there is something beyond," Dr Reddy pointed out.
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 22: Indians suffer from cardiac ailments 10 years before people of other countries develop them. And if the World Health Organisation report is any indication, about 60 per cent of all heart patients in the world will be in India in the next six years.
A research study has now been taken up to find out the reasons for the high prevalence of heart diseases in Asian countries, particularly India. Scientists and researchers have thus far been baffled by the mystery behind heart attacks in people who are not bracketed under high risk groups and who do not have "social vices" like smoking and drinking.
Apollo Hospitals have tied up with John Hopkins to identify the causes responsible for cardiac risk among Indians. The study will find out whether a particular gene is behind heart attacks.
Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy told reporters here on Friday said there was possibly a genetic predisposition to heart diseases among Indian, but the precise cause was still elusive.
"Risk factors that are often associated with heart diseases like hypertension, smoking, high total serum cholesterol and high fat diet do not seem to fully account for the high incidence of the disease in Indians. The disease process also differs in Indians as the coronary vessels are diffusely affected while in other ethnic groups the coronary arteries are more discretely affected. High incidence of diabetes and low levels of good cholesterol with high levels of triglycerides may partially address the high risk of heart diseases in Indians but there is something beyond," Dr Reddy pointed out.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Laugh a day keeps the doctor away
August 27, 2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: For the health conscious Hyderabadis, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is no longer the magic mantra. This age-old proverb has just metamorphosed for the stress-ridden Hyderabadis, who now believe that "laugh a day keeps the doctor away".
No wonder then that the number of laughter clubs in twin cities has doubled in just a couple of years. And the number is growing fast with new clubs added to the list every month as more and more people are turning to "laughter therapy" or "Hasya Yoga". The city has a couple of Hasya Yoga centres where chronic health problems are simply "laughed out" without the prescription of any conventional medicines.
Says Dr Sriranga Lakshmi, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, DRDO, "when one laughs the neuro transmitters get activated and when these are activated one overcomes depression. The work efficiency goes up. Moreover, laughing also leads to our facial muscles and the whole body being exercised resulting in burning of body calories".
One minute of a good bout of laugh is equivalent to 10 minutes of jogging. "All one has to do is a hearty laugh, just smiling and giggling will not help", says OA Seth, secretary of Hasya Yoga Club, KBR Park.
Seth points out that laughter therapy beats stress effectively and solves health problems like high blood pressure, heart ailments, depression, cough and cold, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma and migraine and even cancer-related stress.
Shirin Panjwani, who runs a "laughter clinic", gives examples of two persons recovering from severe health problems through simple laughing techniques. Stating that "laughter is inner jogging", Shirin recalls how one Shyamala Reddy got rid of chronic sinus problem within six months of taking to laughter therapy.
"After all conventional medicines failed to give relief, Shymala Reddy underwent laughter therapy. Within three months she set aside all her woollen clothes she used to wear to keep herself warm to reduce sinus problem. And within six months she got rid of the problem. Another person, an officer in LIC, had his facial texture improved within a month of joining the laughter club. All the wrinkles on his forehead vanished in no time," she observes.
Hasya yoga or laughter therapy is a 5000 year old Indian tradition that modern-day Indians have forgotten to utilise for their benefits. As the A Japanese proverb says, "time spent in laughter is time spent with God", but the Indian ancient texts have emphasised the importance of laughter in one's life thousands of years before the Japanese learnt to employ the technique.
Laughing leads to release of endorthins from different parts of the body, brain etc. These help in dilation of the blood vessels and improved blood circulation resulting in good health, according to Dr Suchi Madhusudan, consultant endocrinologist.
Dr Madan Kataria, who is known as the "Hasya Yoga Guru" and runs a website extolling the importance of laughter therapy, argues that since more than 70 per cent of illnesses have some relation to stress, laughter is the best medicine to treat mind-related diseases.
Laughter reduces the release of stress related hormones and aids in relaxation. "Our studies have shown that people suffering from a variety of diseases have benefited in some way or the other. There is a 10-20 mm drop in blood pressure after a 10 minute laughter session. The daily guffaws strengthen the immune system of the body by helping to increase the count of natural killer lymphocytes and raise the antibody levels. The antibodies in the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory passages increase after laughter therapy," according to Dr Kataria.
A typical laughter yoga session in city parks, mainly KBR and Indira parks, lasts between 20 and 30 minutes as too much of laughter is also bad for health.
World-wide there are 3000 laughter clubs and of them Mumbai has 90 and Bangalore 78. With new laughter clubs coming up in the city, Hyderabad is all set to beat Mumbai and Bangalore when it comes having a "hearty laugh".
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: For the health conscious Hyderabadis, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is no longer the magic mantra. This age-old proverb has just metamorphosed for the stress-ridden Hyderabadis, who now believe that "laugh a day keeps the doctor away".
No wonder then that the number of laughter clubs in twin cities has doubled in just a couple of years. And the number is growing fast with new clubs added to the list every month as more and more people are turning to "laughter therapy" or "Hasya Yoga". The city has a couple of Hasya Yoga centres where chronic health problems are simply "laughed out" without the prescription of any conventional medicines.
Says Dr Sriranga Lakshmi, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, DRDO, "when one laughs the neuro transmitters get activated and when these are activated one overcomes depression. The work efficiency goes up. Moreover, laughing also leads to our facial muscles and the whole body being exercised resulting in burning of body calories".
One minute of a good bout of laugh is equivalent to 10 minutes of jogging. "All one has to do is a hearty laugh, just smiling and giggling will not help", says OA Seth, secretary of Hasya Yoga Club, KBR Park.
Seth points out that laughter therapy beats stress effectively and solves health problems like high blood pressure, heart ailments, depression, cough and cold, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma and migraine and even cancer-related stress.
Shirin Panjwani, who runs a "laughter clinic", gives examples of two persons recovering from severe health problems through simple laughing techniques. Stating that "laughter is inner jogging", Shirin recalls how one Shyamala Reddy got rid of chronic sinus problem within six months of taking to laughter therapy.
"After all conventional medicines failed to give relief, Shymala Reddy underwent laughter therapy. Within three months she set aside all her woollen clothes she used to wear to keep herself warm to reduce sinus problem. And within six months she got rid of the problem. Another person, an officer in LIC, had his facial texture improved within a month of joining the laughter club. All the wrinkles on his forehead vanished in no time," she observes.
Hasya yoga or laughter therapy is a 5000 year old Indian tradition that modern-day Indians have forgotten to utilise for their benefits. As the A Japanese proverb says, "time spent in laughter is time spent with God", but the Indian ancient texts have emphasised the importance of laughter in one's life thousands of years before the Japanese learnt to employ the technique.
Laughing leads to release of endorthins from different parts of the body, brain etc. These help in dilation of the blood vessels and improved blood circulation resulting in good health, according to Dr Suchi Madhusudan, consultant endocrinologist.
Dr Madan Kataria, who is known as the "Hasya Yoga Guru" and runs a website extolling the importance of laughter therapy, argues that since more than 70 per cent of illnesses have some relation to stress, laughter is the best medicine to treat mind-related diseases.
Laughter reduces the release of stress related hormones and aids in relaxation. "Our studies have shown that people suffering from a variety of diseases have benefited in some way or the other. There is a 10-20 mm drop in blood pressure after a 10 minute laughter session. The daily guffaws strengthen the immune system of the body by helping to increase the count of natural killer lymphocytes and raise the antibody levels. The antibodies in the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory passages increase after laughter therapy," according to Dr Kataria.
A typical laughter yoga session in city parks, mainly KBR and Indira parks, lasts between 20 and 30 minutes as too much of laughter is also bad for health.
World-wide there are 3000 laughter clubs and of them Mumbai has 90 and Bangalore 78. With new laughter clubs coming up in the city, Hyderabad is all set to beat Mumbai and Bangalore when it comes having a "hearty laugh".
Thursday, August 10, 2006
New vaccine based on Virosome technology to prevent Hepatitis A
2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 10: A new vaccine based on the latest virosome technology for prevention of Hepatitis A will soon enter the Indian market.
According to Dr Christian Herzog, who developed the vaccine, the new technology that went into the preparation of the vaccine makes it quite gentle on the body without causing fever, pain or red rash. Virosome uses a biodegradable delivery system presenting the most natural way of delivering antigens to the immune system of the body.
Unlike conventional vaccines for Hepatitis A, which uses aluminium salt as an adjuvant to give extra kick to the vaccine, the virosome Hepatitis A vaccine employs the empty shell of influenza virus. No adjuvants are added to the vaccine and this makes it safer. The empty viral shell ensures that the vaccine embedded on it is delivered effectively without causing any side effects, said Dr Herzog.
According to Dr M Indra Shekar Rao, professor and head of the department of paediatrics, Institute of Child Health, Niloufer Hospital, the Hepatitis A virus is quite active during rainy seasons and it spreads fast in comparison to other viruses. The virus easily spreads in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or where personal hygiene is not observed.
"Of the 50 cases of jaundice reported in Niloufer Hospital every day, one case relates to Hepatitis A. The latest problem is that it is being observed in older age group of people between 15 and 20 years. Earlier it was felt only in small children," Dr Indra Shekar pointed out.
Dr S Sanjay of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics' committee on immunisation, said though Hepatitis A was not as problematic as Hepatitis B, it's better one should get immunised for the A variant of the virus if one could afford it.
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 10: A new vaccine based on the latest virosome technology for prevention of Hepatitis A will soon enter the Indian market.
According to Dr Christian Herzog, who developed the vaccine, the new technology that went into the preparation of the vaccine makes it quite gentle on the body without causing fever, pain or red rash. Virosome uses a biodegradable delivery system presenting the most natural way of delivering antigens to the immune system of the body.
Unlike conventional vaccines for Hepatitis A, which uses aluminium salt as an adjuvant to give extra kick to the vaccine, the virosome Hepatitis A vaccine employs the empty shell of influenza virus. No adjuvants are added to the vaccine and this makes it safer. The empty viral shell ensures that the vaccine embedded on it is delivered effectively without causing any side effects, said Dr Herzog.
According to Dr M Indra Shekar Rao, professor and head of the department of paediatrics, Institute of Child Health, Niloufer Hospital, the Hepatitis A virus is quite active during rainy seasons and it spreads fast in comparison to other viruses. The virus easily spreads in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or where personal hygiene is not observed.
"Of the 50 cases of jaundice reported in Niloufer Hospital every day, one case relates to Hepatitis A. The latest problem is that it is being observed in older age group of people between 15 and 20 years. Earlier it was felt only in small children," Dr Indra Shekar pointed out.
Dr S Sanjay of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics' committee on immunisation, said though Hepatitis A was not as problematic as Hepatitis B, it's better one should get immunised for the A variant of the virus if one could afford it.
Most of the animals slaughtered in Hyderabad are not healthy
2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 10: Meat-eaters beware! About 80 per cent of animals slaughtered in twin cities do not undergo the mandatory veterinary tests for diseases.
According to a survey commissioned by Information and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali Shabber, only 20 per cent of meat available in the city market is hygienic and undergoes the regular statutory tests. The remaining meat is from animals slaughtered at unauthorised abattoirs.
"Following the closure of abattoirs in twin cities for hygienic reasons, the State government has opened the modern abattoir at Chengicherla. Animals need to be slaughtered only at the Chengicherla slaughter house but our findings show that only 20 per cent of meat available in the city is from animals slaughtered at Chengicherla," Muhammad Ali Shabber told this correspondent.
The remaining 80 per cent of meat is from animals slaughtered either at houses or at the Jiaguda abattoir. There is no veterinary surgeon at the Jiaguda abattoir, he said.
Muslim religious scholars have been demanding closure of illegal slaughter houses in the city as such abattoirs do not have veterinary surgeons to test whether is animal is fit for consumption and mullahs to slaughter the animals in the Islamic halal procedure.
The State government rules stipulate that abattoirs should have veterinary doctors and Muslim mullahs. Around 10,000 animals are slaughtered in the city daily.
Shabber said he would convene a meeting of senior officials and representatives of abattoirs and butcher community to discuss the issue to ensure that only hygienic meat is sold in the market.
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Aug 10: Meat-eaters beware! About 80 per cent of animals slaughtered in twin cities do not undergo the mandatory veterinary tests for diseases.
According to a survey commissioned by Information and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali Shabber, only 20 per cent of meat available in the city market is hygienic and undergoes the regular statutory tests. The remaining meat is from animals slaughtered at unauthorised abattoirs.
"Following the closure of abattoirs in twin cities for hygienic reasons, the State government has opened the modern abattoir at Chengicherla. Animals need to be slaughtered only at the Chengicherla slaughter house but our findings show that only 20 per cent of meat available in the city is from animals slaughtered at Chengicherla," Muhammad Ali Shabber told this correspondent.
The remaining 80 per cent of meat is from animals slaughtered either at houses or at the Jiaguda abattoir. There is no veterinary surgeon at the Jiaguda abattoir, he said.
Muslim religious scholars have been demanding closure of illegal slaughter houses in the city as such abattoirs do not have veterinary surgeons to test whether is animal is fit for consumption and mullahs to slaughter the animals in the Islamic halal procedure.
The State government rules stipulate that abattoirs should have veterinary doctors and Muslim mullahs. Around 10,000 animals are slaughtered in the city daily.
Shabber said he would convene a meeting of senior officials and representatives of abattoirs and butcher community to discuss the issue to ensure that only hygienic meat is sold in the market.
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