SOCIAL media websites have helped to uncover some negative practices of expatriate workers that pose a great threat to our public health. These expatriate workers have abused the trust of their Saudi sponsors and have failed to perform their duties in the way that they are supposed to. If anything, the concerned authorities in charge of monitoring work related to the public health are not doing a good job. They are not making frequent inspection and monitoring visits to shops that sell food products. The authorities need make a serious effort to safeguard public health.
I recently saw a video clip on a social media website of an expatriate worker spitting on flat bread before pressing it against the wall of a cylindrical clay oven. Someone captured the man in action and posted the video on social media websites. Another video caught some expatriate workers preparing chicken shawarma in an unhygienic and unhealthy way. A third video showed a South Asian barber spitting on a young man’s face while the man’s eyes were closed and he did not know that the barber was doing.
Some of these videos may have been seen by the authorities while others may not. More efforts should be made to uncover such videos and to take action against those who are violating public health regulations. The sponsors of the workers should also be held accountable if it is found that they have been negligent in educating workers about the proper way to do their job. Any expatriate worker who is found to be abusing his job in such a way should be punished.
I call upon the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to require all shops and restaurants to install surveillance cameras at their entrances and especially where food is prepared. With cameras, it will be easy to record any malpractice or violation of hygiene regulations and this will deter workers from engaging in such practices.
The ministry should impose larger fines; currently the minimum fine is SR1,000 and the maximum is SR2,000, which is not enough. Higher fines should be imposed to protect public health against such negative practices.
