Chemical accidents rife in Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): Chemical related accidents are becoming more commonplace in Indonesia, from the consumer level up to the industrial sector, a health official said at a seminar yesterday.
Fawrita Cadick, director of narcotics and hazardous substances control at the Directorate General of Food and Drug Control, based her statement on 1993 data obtained from hospitals in East Java, Jakarta, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi and West Java.
"Most poisoning cases are caused by pesticides, insecticides, contaminated foods, pharmaceuticals, household products, industrial chemicals, natural poison and alcohol," said Fawrita, who is also director of the national poison information center in Jakarta.
Eating fried foods wrapped in unclean packagings or rice contaminated with pesticides left over from storage and shipping can lead to poisoning, she said, citing two common cases.
The international seminar and workshop, The Poison Center as a Key Element of National Chemical Safety Programmes, was opened yesterday at Hotel Indonesia and will end on Thursday. It was organized by the Ministry of Health, the International Program on Chemical Safety and the United Nations Development Program.
Of the 221 telephone inquiries received by the poison center between Nov. 27, 1995, and Aug. 31 this year, 172 were reporting cases of poisoning and chemical accidents. The other 49 callers, she said, wanted information about poison and chemical substances.
Of the 172 poisoning and chemical accidents cases, 65 were related to food, 54 to pharmaceuticals, 29 to household or industrial agents, 10 to pesticides, nine to natural toxins and five to cosmetics, she said.
Among the speakers at the seminar, which was opened by Minister of Health Sujudi, were Julian White from Australia, M. Balali Mood from Iran, Albert J. Nantel from Canada, Wayne A. Temple from New Zealand and MF Wilks from the United Kingdom.
Sujudi pointed out that chemicals -- including pesticides, industrial chemicals and consumers chemicals -- have become indispensable in the industrial, agricultural and consumer sectors.
"However, increasing evidence suggests that chemicals can contribute to health and environmental problems at various stages during their life cycle, from the production of a chemical until it is imported and disposed of," he said.
Thomphson D.P. Sianipar, one of the center's executives, explained that in a minor poisoning or chemical case, the center can provide helpful advice.
However, in major poisoning cases people are advised to visit a doctor or hospital, he said.
He predicted that the number of poisoning cases and chemical accidents here will increase in the future. "Now, there are still many unreported cases and accidents," Thomphson said.
Apart from Jakarta, there are four other poison centers in the country. Those in Bandung, Medan, Surabaya and Ujungpandang are the ministry's pilot projects. (ste)