All people in Bahrain with a tattoo may have to undergo a blood test to ensure they are not carrying potentially transferable diseases.
A call has also gone out to clamp down on illegal tattoo parlours across the kingdom and crackdown on underground tattooists operating from their homes.
Southern Municipal Council has raised concerns and is urging stricter action from the Health Ministry and the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA).
“These unlicensed outlets often found in salons, hairdressers and even hidden in residential apartments have raised serious public health and safety concerns,” claimed council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif, who is spearheading the move.
“Tattoo inking is illegal in Bahrain and no licences are issued for tattoo parlours,” he added. “Despite this, there has been a rise in clandestine operations offering tattoo services, which could put customers at risk due to unsanitary conditions and risky inks.”
Because it requires breaking the skin barrier, tattooing carries inherent health risks, including infection and allergic reactions.
If tattoo ink enters the bloodstream, it can cause a number of problems. The ink can clog the arteries, causing a heart attack. It can also cause an infection, which can lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition. In some cases, the ink can even cause an allergic reaction, which can be fatal.
If equipment used to create a tattoo has infected blood on it, you can get diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
As a result, councillors have called for ‘mandatory blood tests’ for individuals who have tattoos, carried out either within Bahrain or abroad.
“This precaution is seen as necessary to protect public health and minimise the risk of transmission of blood-infected diseases,” said Mr Abdullatif.
In addition to health concerns, councillors have also called for action against tattoos considered ‘indecent’, from where they may be placed on the body to ‘inappropriate shapes, words, or meanings that may offend cultural or social sensitivities in Bahrain’.
“Relevant authorities need to maintain both public health and cultural values in the face of the growing popularity of tattoos, particularly among younger generations,” added Mr Abdullatif.
“Although tattooing is illegal in Bahrain and no official licences are granted for parlours, the law does not prohibit individuals from obtaining tattoos abroad,” he added. “This legal gap has contributed to the increasing demand for tattoo services, which has, in turn, led to the proliferation of illegal tattoo parlours within the kingdom, in my opinion.
“The council’s call for action aims to close this loophole and ensure that tattooing is met with stiff measures to safeguard both public health and cultural integrity.
“The situation is already out of control with several tattooists putting up adverts on social media claiming to provide safe, hygienic and clean services but without, it appears, anything being done to track them down.”
The proposal has been forwarded to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak to refer to Health Minister Dr Jalila Al Sayyed for review.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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