LAHORE – Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab has decided to register all barbers across the province under the Punjab Hepatitis Act.
Reports in local media cited that barbers across Punjab will have to register their shops with the health department, which will issue temporary licenses after inspection that will be valid for a period of three months.
Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Hairdressers and Beauticians Association assured full support to the initiative. Barbers expressed concern toward harassment in the guise of inspection. It is a commendable decision of the incumbent government only if the inspection staff will not harass the poor barbers.
Pakistani barber offers haircuts with cleavers and blowtorches
Meanwhile, the barber registration process is expected to improve hygiene practice at hair-cutting saloons which can stem the spread of hepatitis – an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by a viral infection.
The recent initiative is the follow-up of a number of campaigns launched by the Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health. Earlier, the department has distributed 40,000 safe barber kits in a bid to eradicate hepatitis B and C.
