Checks on non-veg supplies in hospitals

All poultry owners instructed to send regular reports on the condition of birds

Following the busting of a racket selling rotten meat, West Bengal Health Department yesterday instructed district health officials to intensify monitoring of non-vegetarian food served in state-run hospitals, a senior official said.

“The chief medical officers of all districts have been directed to monitor non-vegetarian food and raw meat supplied/ served in state hospitals on a regular basis. The condition of food items needs to be checked before it enters hospitals,” Ajay Chakraborty, West Bengal’s Director of Health Services, said over the phone.

“No written circulars have been issued yet. It is more of a verbal caution to authorities concerned to be extra careful,” he said. The Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Department too has instructed all poultry owners to send regular reports on the condition of their animals and warned of strict actions if dead birds are found on poultry farms during inspections, an official said.

Raids conducted

The unearthing of the racket in the sale of carcass meat collected from dumps to hotels and departmental stores in Kolkata and adjoining suburbs has shocked the common man and forced state authorities to raid eateries in and around the city.

Police seized nearly 20 tonnes of animal meat last week from a cold storage in north Kolkata that was meant to be supplied to departmental stores and hotels, and arrested 10 persons.

Police were trying to prepare a detailed list of departmental stores and eateries where such meat was supplied while looking into an international angle to the racket.