PUBLIC health inspectors are refusing to buy foodstuffs and cooking implements for the Health Ministry’s sample screening programme as long as they are expected to pay for them out of their own pocket.
Although the Health Ministry does reimburse its inspectors each month, it can sometimes take as long as three months to do so.
The civil servants say it’s unheard of for employees to have to pay for government programmes with their own money.
“Where else have you heard of someone not having enough money to buy milk for their children but to have to find £200 to £300 to buy food for the government,” said the president of PASYDI’s health inspectors section, Evangelos Evangelou.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Evangelou said the public health inspectors were often expected to fork out extortionate sums of money each month, depending on the items sampled.
“If someone is only buying fruit and vegetables then it will only cost £10 or £20. But there are items that are much more costly. Take items like ceramic or stainless steel that come into contact with food, such as saucepans. They can cost up to £300. Sampling nuts is also expensive as you need to buy them in bulk and the price adds up, sometimes costing as much as £200,” he said.
Another very expensive sampling programme was for food supplements, he added.
“You also need to buy everything in threes. One item remains with the vendor, one is kept by the health inspector and one is sent to the state lab for testing,” Evangelou said.
He said that by law, the purchases had to be paid for up front, as bills could not be settled later.
“The law is very clear on this point,” he said.
Inspectors also had to act like consumers and only after paying for the items could they inform the seller that they were being sent for analysis.
Public Health Services acting head Andreas Hadjivasilis said the inspectors’ strike posed an immediate threat to public health, as it put a stop to all microbiological inspections.
A more long-term health threat involved additive levels, though increased levels were still in violation of the law.
Hadjivasilis said 10 to 15 samples were taken by the department’s inspectors every day, including fruit and vegetables, nuts, ice cream, ready made foods (from restaurants or fast food establishments), bakery goods and so on. The inspectors stopped taking samples on Monday.
“Depending on the time of the year, the type of item sampled might differ.”
Hadjivasilis said the samples were screened for additives and preservatives, and underwent microbiological testing.
“Microbiological tests are a way of testing if food has been prepared properly,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Health Services, Hadjivasilis said the inspectors were continuing to carry out inspections where samples were given to them for free, such as army camps.
He said he also believed the issue would be resolved soon following indications from the Health Ministry.
“Examinations into what sort of sum the inspectors are talking about are under way, which will be discussed with the general accountant,” he said.
Evangelou said the ministry had promised to find a solution to the problem soon.
“As soon as they come up with a solution, we will put a stop to our measures… This could be today, tomorrow or in two months. Either way, the ball is in the government’s court,” he said.
The only solution the union will accept is the money being paid upfront.
