The Ministry of Health and Media has implemented three major public health initiatives in a short span of time aimed at safeguarding the well-being of the general public.
The three key measures include:
Setting quality standards for school food: Establishing strict nutritional and safety guidelines for food provided to school children.
Banning artificial fruit ripening: Prohibiting the use of harmful chemical agents used for artificial fruit ripening.
Regulating private medical laboratories: Enforcing strict quality standards for private laboratories and capping maximum charges for diagnostic tests.
Recent official raids revealed that several unregulated laboratories had been conducting sensitive diagnostic procedures—including blood and urine tests—using expired chemical reagents without adhering to proper safety standards.
To curb these unsafe practices, the government has set mandatory standard protocols and maximum price caps for diagnostic tests. Members of the public are requested to report any laboratories violating these regulations or overcharging patients to the newly introduced hotline: 1977.
