Social Media Claims and the Reality about Arsenic Injections in Poultry

Before a few lines related to arsenic circulating on social media in the name of an organization, let us talk about the news of an English newspaper, according to which drug resistance is developing in humans, that is, the use of antibiotics has increased so much that now these drugs do not work after entering the body. This news is correct and this is happening, and it is happening rapidly. But the problem here is that poultry and livestock products have been held responsible in this news.

Drug Resistance and the Poultry Sector

The news also includes a statement by the Vice Chancellor of a health-related higher education institution, according to which drug resistance is being created in the public due to the use of antibiotics and growth promoters as well as hormones in chickens. With apologies, such an irresponsible statement cannot be expected from a person who is a man of science and is sitting in a very important position.

The Myth About Hormones in Chickens

The first request is that no kind of hormone is used in chickens for growth. The second request is that eggs and chicken are not products made by a plant in a factory, but the machine used for this is called a chicken. Now these health scientists will probably know that this chicken is a living thing. When it is alive, it will also get sick. In case of illness, it will have to be treated, for which antibiotics and other medicines will have to be used. Now it is not necessary that every chicken coming to the market is sick and antibiotics have been used for every chicken because no one uses drugs in poultry farming out of passion, because this will increase costs and reduce profits.

Why Medicines Are Used in Poultry Farming

These professionals should also know that anything that is alive cannot be fed anything that is unnatural or harmful to its health because it will have a direct physiological effect and this will affect performance, which will reduce production. Now, reduction in production in poultry farming is not acceptable in any way, but the goal is to achieve better production.

Antibiotic Growth Promoters: A Scientific Debate

As far as the question of using antimicrobial growth promoters in chicken feed is concerned, this is a scientific debate that is taking place all over the world. We also talk about it. The Supreme Court has also given a decision in this regard. The relevant laws of Pakistan state which antibiotic growth promoters can be used in feed and how much of them can be used. On the other hand, there is also a list of growth promoters that are prohibited. Their use may end in our country, but it will take a long time and thorough planning will be required.

The Real Cause of Drug Resistance

It is true that drug resistance is emerging rapidly in our country, but blaming poultry products for this is tantamount to hiding the facts. The real responsibility for this lies with health professionals and the mafias connected to them, due to which antibiotics are directly used indiscriminately in humans.

These antibiotics are sold like chocolates in medical stores and even in general shops and people use them like chocolates. On the other hand, a large number of health professionals write antibiotics in their prescriptions on a daily basis. Then there are also a large number of doctors who use them to treat headaches.

This situation is the main reason for drug resistance. A poor person may not even have chicken once a week, and a large part of the population may think about it months later. Therefore, it is a frivolous move to blame the poultry sector for drug resistance in Pakistan and make people hate it.

Responsibility of Health Professionals

The Vice Chancellor should issue a statement against those professionals who take commissions from pharmaceutical companies in various ways and use drugs indiscriminately. In return, their bungalows are built and foreign trips are made, while the children of the nation are not even able to get treatment for diseases.

Can the Government Provide Arsenic Injections in Poultry?

On the other hand, what is being said on social media about the government providing arsenic injections is also not possible. The role of government institutions in Pakistan’s commercial poultry farming is very small. Here, the private sector is involved in all stages of production, but the institutions do monitor this sector as a whole.

Arsenic Injections in Poultry and Pakistan Poultry Association

It is not possible for the government to provide any vaccine to the Pakistan Poultry Association and then for the association to use it throughout Pakistan. It should be clear that poultry farming does not consist of a few factories located in a particular place. There are thousands of poultry farms in Pakistan, spread across the country.

It is neither necessary for any of these farms or farmers to be part of the poultry association nor is it obligatory for them to follow any of the association’s rules. Similarly, the association does not have any mechanism to control them all. On the other hand, the government also does not have any mechanism to control the millions of poultry farms across Pakistan in a few weeks.

Arsenic Injections in Poultry – Why Such Claims Do Not Make Sense

I do not want to vaccinate the birds and it is not possible for the Pakistan Poultry Association.

It should also be clear here that if such a serious announcement is made by the government that a disease is going to occur in chickens, then people will stop vaccinating and putting chicks in far farms.

Therefore, all these things are baseless things aimed at targeting the poultry sector. Such statements come out when the price of chicken increases. The government should also show seriousness in this regard because the poultry sector plays a fundamental role in the national food security as well as the national economy. If the series of baseless things coming out in this way is not stopped, then we may face huge losses.