Chrysotile Information Centre Asia educates SL medical professionals on safe usage of Chrysotile
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Thai and Indian experts at the seminar
Sri Lanka’s plans to ban the use of asbestos sheets (usually used for roofs) by 2018 for health reasons have drawn opposition from local producers.The World Health Organisation has said that all types of asbestos cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and ovary, and asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs). However local manufacturers say that WHO data is insufficient to justify such a ban and have urged the authorities to consult the industry before proceeding with such a ban.
Recently the Chrysotile Information Centre – Asia organised a discussion with a large number of medical professionals from around the island to educate them on the safe usage of Chrysotile, a principal source in asbestos, and to eradicate the misinformation about Chrysotile roofing sheets that is being circulated in the island, according to a media statement from the centre.The organization is a non-profit organization established to provide scientific information, public education and assistance in relation to the responsible and safe use of Chrysotile.
Speaking at the seminar held at the Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo, Dr. Somchai Bovornkitti MD, DScMed, FRCP, FRACP, Hon. FACP, FRST – who is an eminent professional in the field of chest medicine – spoke on “Asbestos Related Diseases in Thailand”. Relating his experience of how Thailand overturned a ban on Chrysotile in his home country, Dr. Somchai highlighted many scientific facts that he has also cited in many journal papers written for the Royal Institute of Thailand. Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Asbestos Information Centre India and member of the Asbestos International Association Executive Committee V.
Pattabhi spoke on the “Review of Scientific Facts of Cements with Chrysotile Fibers”. With 40 years of experience at Hyderabad Industries Ltd he is also the expert assisting Dr. Lesage at the ILO in Geneva to draft a paper titled “Safety in the use of Asbestos”, the release said. The two sessions were followed by a Q&A session where questions were raised on many areas such as the scientific backgrounds to asbestos variations, why developed nations have banned asbestos, why asbestos classification and differentiation has not been made public knowledge on a wider scale, the difference of Chrysotile which is the only variant used in Sri Lanka and safe usage methods, etc. All these questions were answered citing scientific knowledge and facts based on research carried out by the two speakers and other professionals on the subject. The Chrysotile Information Centre has a presence in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.