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KARACHI, Aug 16: The provincial health department and the Environmental Protection Agency asked the citizens on Saturday to avoid coming in contact with the seawater that has been polluted due to the breaking up of the vessel Tasman Spirit.
In a joint press statement, the two governmental agencies asked the people not to visit the part of the coast where the tanker got grounded late last month. They said direct exposure to the polluted seawater could give rise to skin rashes and irritation.
Through the press release the two departments asked the people not to jog or walk in the affected area. They said the polluted air could affect the eyes and also the respiratory system.
They asked the people to use colour spectacles as much as possible. They warned against self-medication. To ward off complications, the two departments recommended frequent washing of the eyes.
Too much exposure to the polluted air could give rise to respiratory complications like shortness of breath. They recommended the use of masks as much as possible.
They said senior citizens, especially with a history of respiratory ailments, could suffer asthma attacks. Therefore, the people living either near or in the affected area should keep their doors and windows shut.
Infants should be kept away from the affected area as much as possible, said their handout. They asked the people to wear clothes which could protect most parts of their bodies.
The exposed parts of the body should be washed as frequently as possible. The two departments said frequent bathing was recommended.
They warned against the consumption of foodstuff sold by vendors in the affected area. In case of complications, people should contact the nearest health-care centre, the statement added.
Meanwhile, an emergency was declared at the Civil Hospital Karachi and the Government Korangi Hospital. According to the medical superintendent of the civil hospital, the step has been taken in view of the possibility of further spillage of oil from the tanker.
In response to a question, Prof Noshad Shaikh said: “Routine cases of respiratory and eye ailments are being presented at our hospital. And mind you not many cases have been reported.”
MASKS: The Sindh government has distributed 5,000 masks to workers of non-governmental organizations and Rangers’ men, who are busy keeping people away from the shore, said Noman Sehgal, adviser to the chief minister on health while talking to newsmen on Saturday, adds PPI.
He said that some respiratory diseases could break out due to pollution in the area. He, however, discounted the possibility of any serious epidemics.
The medical committees, town health officers and other concerned departments were doing their jobs, besides making announcement through the mosques restraining the people from going to the beach, he said.
On the other hand, doctors at different hospitals expressed their apprehensions over the oil spill.
A heart specialist at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Nadeem Rizvi, said that the crude oil fumes might increase cardiac, asthma, cough, and eye soar problems in the city.
Dr Arshad from the Civil Hospital said children and pregnant women could also be affected by the polluted air and added that crude fumes could hurt the respiratory canal.
The contaminated oxygen could also create complications like nausea and vomiting, he said.
