DUSHANBE, November 30, Asia-Plus  -- Shukurjon Zuhurov, the head of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), sharply criticized the low efficiency of work of the Service for the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision.

His criticism, directed at top managers of the Service for the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, came during an address to a regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon on November 30.

“Our specialists have not been able to detect the reason for the high tuberculosis rate in some villages in the Vose district, Khatlon province for already seventy years,” Zuhurov noted.

He stressed that district sanitary and epidemiological stations were in a very poor state.  “Many district sanitary and epidemiological stations do not have special labs to check imported food products,” the speaker noted.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Tajik chief sanitary inspector had not attended the meeting despite the fact that amendments to the law on ensuring sanitary and epidemiological safety of the population had been tabled to the session’s agenda.

Zuhurov ordered the relevant committee of the Majlisi Namoyandagon to organize special hearings on issues related to ensuring sanitary safety in the country.

Meanwhile, presenting the amendments, Deputy Health Minister, Ali Mirzoyev, noted that the amendments were aimed at bringing the law on ensuring sanitary and epidemiological safety of the population into compliance with other laws for the country’s joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).