Thiruvananthapuram: The deadline to take health card for hotel employees in Kerala is extended for the third time. The new deadline is April 1. 

The health card is to be issued to certify that the hotel workers do not suffer from contagious diseases, infections, don't have open wounds and have taken required vaccinations.

The deadline to ensure that all hotel workers have health cards was extended twice before, due to the lack of enough typhoid vaccines in the state. 

The first order of the vaccines will be delivered only in two days. In the initial days of health card checks, the food and safety officials will also be conducting awareness sessions in hotels. Once issued, the card is valid for a year. 

The new rule, aimed at curbing the spread of food-borne illnesses, is applicable to all kinds of food-making and distribution institutions.

The state food safety officials are expected to hold inspections at the dwelling places of hotel workers as well, with the help of the Labour department. The deployment of Health Inspectors of the Health Department for conducting various food safety inspections will also be considered.

Health Minister Veena George said in January that the food safety commissioner was directed to conduct detailed examinations of food establishments to detect even minute lapses.

Health cards from registered practitioners
The health cards should be obtained from registered medical practitioners. The model of the certificate can be accessed from the website of the Food Safety Commissionerate. The certificates and the test results should be kept at workplaces and produced upon demand by the officials. The health cards should be renewed once in six months by undergoing medical examinations, including blood tests.

Recently, three doctors of Thiruvananthapuram's General Hospital were suspended for allegedly taking money for issuing health cards to hotel employees. The cards issued by them were not in the prescribed format and apparently fabricated. A video footage had also revealed haggling for the bribes and a commission amount being handed over to an intermediary in the deal.

The action was taken against assistant surgeon Dr V Amit Kumar, who holds charge as the Resident Medical Officer, and casualty medical officers Dr Vinsa S Vincent and Dr Aysha S Govind.