KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Director-General of Health, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has advised Kuantan residents to avoid using raw water from polluted rivers to avoid health problems.
“If you do not feel well, go to nearby clinics for treatment. Avoid eating fish from polluted rivers as stated by the Department of Environment (DoE) as a preventive measure,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, the Pahang Health Department has taken measures to monitor the impact of bauxite mining on public health by monitoring the quality of drinking water and the number of patients treated by health clinics, he said.
“MOH has taken water samples from Semambu, Bukit Sagu and Bukit Goh water treatment plants. Analysis by the Chemistry Department found they complied with heavy metal parametres and National Drinking Water Quality Standards.
“Eleven health clinics in Kuantan have been monitored for patients with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI), asthma and conjunctivitis since 2014,” he added.
He noted that the Food Safety and Quality Division, Pahang is monitoring the quality of food once every two months.
MOH also analysed fish such as mengkerong, kekek, gelama, andeng and lokan for lead, cadmium and inorganic arsenic contamination, he said. — Bernama
