Health minister: Pasir Gudang pollution won't have long-term health effects

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 Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He also said that the toxic level of the chemical waste was not high enough to result in fatalities.

“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 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.

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

RELATED REPORTS

Pasir Gudang residents want shuttle service to medic centre

Pasir Gudang air quality good but public advised to continue using masks

Two days left for team to clean up chemical waste in Sungai Kim Kim

Panic over Pasir Gudang fake news inundates medic base

Schools in Pasir Gudang still closed

Agong expresses sympathy for toxic emission victims in Pasir Gudang

Mahathir in the dark over Johor MB’s visit to Batam