Used containers warning

 People should be cautious when drinking from re-used plastic containers sold on the streets. 

National Capital District Commission chief health inspector Isoa Morea said: “The habit of buying water from street vendors is an unhealthy practice that the public should avoid.

“People need to be aware of the dangers of drinking from re-used containers sold by street vendors.”

Morea said washing the containers with boiling water and detergent did not make them safer.

“Most of the 500ml containers are collected from filthy drains and rubbish piles along roadsides and this is a serious health concern,” he said.

“People collecting the used containers did not realise that they were putting the public at risk.

“All of the unemployed and homeless are collecting plastic containers in public places to earn their living but there is a concern about where they get the containers from.

“As the commission’s health authority, we are urging people to buy bottled water from shops or carry your own bottles of water.”

Morea said that from reports the NCDC health division was gathering, there was a steady increase in tuberculosis in the city.

“People should take care of their health and refrain from bad practices such as chewing buai from public lime and consuming water from re-used containers,” he said.

“We are working closely with partner stakeholders and the Health Department to educate the public in ways to avoid getting sick.

“There are cases of former TB patients developing the drug-resistant form of TB or type two TB due to them not faithfully completing their doses and as a result are back on the second treatment, imposing a challenge to health authorities.” 

Morea said anyone contracting the secondary form of TB could not be cured with the first set of TB drugs as the germs were resistant to the normal TB treatment.