SANDAKAN : A total of 22 out of the 35 stalls at Levels One and Two at the Sandakan Central Market here have been allowed to operate again after the Sandakan District Health Office was satisfied with the improvements made by the owners of the stalls and the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC).
Its officer Dr. Johari Awang Besar said the improvements included the provision of health cards, injection of anti-typhoid and attended the food handling course, food display cases, maintenance of the damaged grease trap and also flies, cockroaches and rats traps.
“I hope this practice will continue and not only when we come to make an inspection.
“I will instruct our team to come on a regular basis not only at the public market but also in the markets that we have previously visited such as the night market next to the post office and Sim-Sim Market.
“Changes and improvements will hopefully be a lesson to food operators in a number of markets that we do not visit such as the Taman Mawar Market, Fajar Market and Kim Fung Market,” he said when revisiting the Sandakan Central Market, yesterday.
The Health Office and SMC inspected the central market on Friday and Saturday before food operators were allowed to operate again.
Meanwhile, Dr. Johari said he would send an application letter to SMC to install the ceiling at Level One in order to cover the exposed cesspool system.
In addition, it also urged SMC to replace the wooden cupboard in each booth with a steel cupboard to prevent the breeding of cockroaches and rats. The current wooden closets were never changed since it was first used in 2006.