After Nestlé India’s Maggi noodles was banned in Delhi for 15 days and other noodle brands are on radar, street food vendors who prepare unhealthy food at roadside in polluted environment are again in focus. The never-ending stalls of street food vendors and cigarette vendors outside Government hospitals continue to be a usual view.
Medical Superintendent of Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, Dr SP Jayant pointed out the irresponsibility of civic bodies and police personnel in evacuating the vendors from outside the hospitals. Meanwhile, the doctor has urged the Delhi Government to keep a check on street food vendors so that they cannot put the stalls outside hospitals. He said the Government should verify the quality of street food also.
“These street vendors create so much chaos outside the hospitals that many a times there is no space left for the ambulance to carry out its functioning smoothly,” Dr Jayant said, adding that civic officials seem to be least bothered to take action against these street food and cigarette vendors outside the hospital.
He further said that area near hospital is very sensitive and cigarette vendors should not be allowed to put their stalls, adding, “It is a serious problem which our patients are facing, which is ultimately putting more pressure to hospitals in terms of beds, medicines, etc.” He added the unhygienic street foods posed high health risk for people who continue to eat there. While explaining the disadvantages of street food,
Dr Jayant said, “In study it is found that the roadside food contains impurities leading to the growth of tapeworm inside the stomach.” He added that Escherichia Coli (E. coli) is usually found in faeces and do not survive outside for long time. This street food with E. coli can cause intestinal infection like abdominal cramps; diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, said the doctor adding that people can suffer from pneumonia (lung infection), urinary tract infection, meningitis, peritonitis.