In a meeting held on Saturday, the NDA and the CEPHED decided to join hands to minimize the use of mercury in health sector, especially in dental clinics. "We have joined hands to make an effort for a mercury-free health sector," said Ram Charita Sah, executive director at CEPHED. [break]
The meeting also decided to draft a policy for the proper use of mercury. "We can draft a policy because we do have alternatives for mercury," said Sah.
"Today we can use non-mercury fillings such as composite fillings in teeth cavities," said Sah.
But in dental hospitals and clinics across the country, mercury-based dental amalgam is widely used in treating teeth cavities, which directly harms the public and hospital environment.
So the two organizations have decided to join forces to push for a mercury-free dentistry and also curb the overall use of the metal in the health sector.
They will organize orientation programs about the adverse effects of mercury at different dental colleges as their first step toward their goal.
"This orientation program will increase awareness among dental students, who become dental surgeons in future," shared Sah.
A research conducted by CEPHED in 20 dental hospitals and clinics in the Kathmandu Valley has found widespread use of mercury-based equipment.
Among the 20 hospitals and clinics, seven of them are using mercury-based thermometer, barometer and sphygmomanometer.
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