Merrick Andrews, Staff ReporterTHE PUBLIC Health Department (PHD) is to clamp down on illegal barbers whom it is blaming largely for the increased reports of scalp diseases, being reported to the department.
"We realise that there is a problem. We are stepping up the inspection of barber shops. Sterilisation of the equipment is one of the key things we are looking for. Definitely, the PHD will be more strict on these illegal operators," said Roy Robinson, head of the Public Health Inspectorate, attributing the spread of the disease mainly to barbers who operate without licence.
Mr. Robinson said that this illegal operation was a breach of the Public Health Act and offenders can be prosecuted.
"There have been barbers that are found operating without licences. When they are caught we give them one or two weeks to get the licences and if at the end of the period if they don't obtain the licence, they are liable to prosecution," said Mr. Robinson.
Section 23 (1) of the Public Health Act states: "Any person guilty of an offence against this Act for which no penalty is provided elsewhere in this Act, shall be liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine not exceeding $12,500 and in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment to a term not exceeding three months."
Section 23 (11) states that if the offence continues, the offender will be fined $2,500 for every day that the offence continues. Failure to pay the fine results in imprisonment for two months.
Mr. Robinson said, a number of persons have called health centres about a scalp disease.
"Personally, I have seen a number of men with the disease especially at the back of their heads and young children for which it is rampant," he added.
Cheap
He said further, that the illegal operators of barber shops attracted customers mainly in communities and districts because they were cheap.
A barber from Webb's Barber Salon in Kingston told The Sunday Gleaner last week, that he believed some barbers were "negligent" in keeping their equipment clean.
"Not all of them (barbers) caused the diseases to spread but there are some out there who do not know about sanitation," he said.
Dermatologist and member of the Cosmetic Committee of the Bureau of Standards, Dr. Clive Anderson, said that an estimated 20 patients visit his office in Kingston per week for treatment of the scalp disease tineacapitis. He says it is the most common type of scalp diseases and is caught mainly through contacts from barbers' equipment.
"It varies but sometimes we have epidemics where we see, especially large numbers of children," he said, "but I must add quite quickly that sometimes it's not the barbers either, because kids can pass it on very quickly through playing."
He said this disease is highly contagious.
"It is most common in children and it appears as white and scaly patches on the scalp. It is very itchy," he said.
Dr. Anderson stated that if the disease is not treated promptly, it could spread across the scalp, causing hair-loss. Continued neglected could result in the scalp becoming "pusy and boggy".
He said that to prevent the disease, barbers need to sterilise or disinfect their equipment.
"The head should be shampooed immediately after cutting the hair," he added.
