Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam today suggested that the bauxite mining in Pahang be halted altogether, if the activity continues to pose a health risk with the polluted waterways and water supply.
He also advised Kuantan folk against drinking bauxite-polluted river water as it was harmful to their health.
He said they should not drink such water even by boiling it, because it contained heavy metal that was detrimental to health and could remain in the body undetected for a long time.
They should not eat any fish caught in the polluted rivers, he further told reporters after delivering his New Year message for the ministry in Putrajaya.
Subramaniam ( left ) said his ministry was monitoring the situation to ensure that the water supply system in the Kuantan area was unaffected.
Asked to comment on reports that people exposed to bauxite dust could eventually suffer from Alzheimer's , he said: "All forms of metal carry a long-term effect. It will take some time for it to manifest."
The federal government yesterday announced a three-month moratorium from Jan 15 on bauxite mining in Pahang.
Health deputy director-general Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said the ministry was awaiting a chemical analysis report to determine the effect of bauxite on man and marine life.
In his address to ministry staff, Dr Subramaniam said the ministry would implement the Domiciliary Care Service for patients requiring long-term nursing care after being discharged from hospitals.
"For a start, the service will focus on the nursing and rehabilitation aspects at selected health clinics in the country," he said, adding that there were now 160 teams providing the service.
- Bernama
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