Chemical pollution won't have long-term chronic effect on health - Dr Dzulkefly

JOHOR BAHRU, March 16 (Bernama) -- Victims of the Sungai Kim Kim chemical waste pollution suffered a one-off acute exposure and it’s not expected to have any long-term chronic effect on their health, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said they would not die as the toxic level of the chemical waste was low.

“I wish to stress here that this is acute exposure. The dosage is not too serious, totally not a fatal dosage.

“This is acute toxicity, not something that is chronic in nature and where long-term exposure can cause cancer,” he told a press conference after visiting the Medic Base at the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council Indoor Stadium here today.

He was commenting on the victims’ concerns about the long-term effect the Sungai Kim Kim chemical waste pollution would have on their health.

Dr Dzulkefly said that as an initiative to monitor the health status of all the victims, the ministry would conduct a cohort study based on the patients’ collated data system.

-- BERNAMA