Dubai, February 03: From next month onwards, hospitals and other healthcare establishments in Dubai will have to follow uniform guidelines for the investigation and surveillance of food-borne illnesses and food poisoning cases.
This will ensure that related symptoms are concluded a case of food poisoning or a food-borne disease only when clinical symptoms, food samples and lab tests tally. The application of such guidelines is expected to change the current scenario of some doctors misdiagnosing diarrhea and vomiting as symptoms of food poisoning.
The guidelines have been jointly developed by the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality (DM) and the Public Health and Safety Department of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) with an aim to have clear definitions and protocols for dealing with suspected food-borne illnesses.The new code of practice will require all hospitals to report food-related illnesses within a short time to the DHA. At the same time, DM’s food inspectors will carry out necessary investigations, especially when the sickness involves a multiple number of patients.
In June 2009, a Khaleej Times report had highlighted that no uniform guidelines were being followed by doctors in the country to handle cases of suspected food poisoning. The report said doctors held different opinions on the methods of treatment and notification of such cases.
Khalid Sherif Al Awadhi, Director of Food Control Department, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday that the new uniform procedures for Dubai would come into effect from March after the DM organises a workshop for its food inspectors and government and private healthcare practitioners in Dubai.
“The manual of guidelines for food-borne disease investigation and surveillance is ready. We are working with DHA for implementing it in all government and private health facilities in Dubai.
This will be applicable in March after our workshop to be conducted by experts from the CDC and WHO,” he said on the sidelines of a Press conference to announce the 6th Dubai International Food Safety Conference, which will be held from February 28 to March 1. This is the second time the experts from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation are holding such a workshop here. The initial one was conducted at the last edition of the conference.
DM’s senior food safety expert Basher Hassan Yousif said the workshop this year would also introduce rapid diagnostic methods for food-borne illnesses. He said the new guidelines would help doctors to clearly define food poisoning cases which require immediate notification.
“It will also help them logically define cases based on clinical symptoms and patient history. Clinical symptoms, lab tests and food samples have to have a connection. Otherwise, we cannot conclude if it is a case of food poisoning due to the food the patient had from any particular source or outlet,” he said.
As soon as the DM is notified of a suspected case, inspectors of food-borne illness investigation will visit hospitals to collect more details from treating doctors and the food history from patients.This will help DM to find out the source of illness and take appropriate action by removing the suspected product from the shops.
–Agencies–