The Environmental Health Director of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Karim Hud has advised food vendors and drinking bar operators to visit the hospital to be tested before license is issued to them for their operation.

He disclosed this to the media in their attempt to sensitize the general public about the need to be medically fit before operating as a food vendor or drinking bar operator.

Mr Karim Hudu asserted that the Assembly is selling out forms to new applicants at a fee of 45gh cedis and already existed food vendors and drinking bar operators are to purchase them at a fee of 40gh cedis.

He informed that applicants can visit the Assembly's various sub-metros which is Takoradi sub-metro, Sekondi sub-metro and Essikado-Ketan sub-metro to purchase their forms and subsequently visit the hospital to get tested to ascertain their status on Hepatitis B, HIV and other deadly diseases before licenses are issued.

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Again Mr Hudu disclosed that the exercise is done annually to know whether an applicant is medically fit to operate as a food vendor or drinking bar operator.

"We have spoken to the hospital to lessen the fee that will be charged an applicant before the laboratory test is conducted so as not to burden and make the process cumbersome".

He said, the Assembly has been divided into phases and the task force will begin inspections in the various sub-metros of food vendors and drinking bar operators and if any is found culpable, the law will take its course.

Nhyiraba Kwesi Addae, Western Region