Amiri Hospital to be HQ of toxicology center

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MoH seeks to reduce pressure on health system

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 3: The Ministry of Health seeks to invest in the reduced pressure on the health system following the improvement of general indicators and the decline in cases infections with the Corona virus for some time in general, in specialized centers and public hospitals, the elimination of some phenomena and observations, reports Al-Qabas daily. The Ministry of Health is preparing to implement during the next phase the Kuwait Poison Treatment Center, as part of one of the projects.

The poison treatment centers idea was floated about 4 years ago, before the outbreak of the Corona crisis in February 2020, but its implementation faltered relatively as the toxicology field is one of the modern fields in the region, for dealing with cases of chemical and radiological cases, including chemical and biological weapons, as well as cases of poisoning and overdose among adults and children, especially the due to consumption of adulterated and counterfeit alcohol.

Awareness
The awareness of toxicology needs to be highlighted, whether by specialized medical staff or the media, especially since the establishment of a poison center in Kuwait will contribute to counting the number of people infected with chemical, radiological and biological injuries if they occur, in addition to those who consume toxic substances, such as methanol, ethylene glycol, and Isopropyl Alcohol, — a colorless, flammable organic compound with a strong alcoholic odor — and then deal with them and help them. Toxicology, according to health sources, is one of the subspecialties that focus on the diagnosis, management and prevention of poisoning, and other harmful effects of drugs, chemicals and toxicities in the environment, in the field of work and biological risks, indicating that it is a very important specialty, especially with the vicissitudes of modern life and what It is witnessing changes and events, related to the consumption of toxic substances for various purposes. The sources referred to previous medical conferences during which specialists were briefed on the latest designs of several poison centers around the world; with the aim of choosing the best design that suits the health system and the size and type of injuries in the country.

Influx
The sources told the daily an influx of cases with symptoms of alcohol poisoning was monitored in the emergency departments of hospitals from time to time, as a result of the abuse of locally made adulterated liquor containing toxic substances such as methanol and ethylene, two of the substances unfit for human use, due to its impact on human body organs.

The sources stated that methanol is among the most dangerous of these substances, and it is quickly absorbed by the digestive system, and causes great damage to the nervous system, which may lead to gradual and possibly permanent blindness if the abuser is not treated in a timely manner. It also leads to brain damage and circulatory failure as a result of high acid levels in the blood, leading to kidney failure if the patient is not treated within 3 to 4 hours at the latest.

The sources indicated that the Kuwait Poison Center will be based in the Amiri Hospital immediately after its inauguration, and it is likely that it will be opened after completing all the requirements of the center next October at the latest, as it is scheduled to be a “call center” to deal with all related reports — poisoning with toxic substances from various public hospitals, and then giving the medical and nursing staff the necessary directions and recommendations to deal with cases in an emergency manner by specialists.

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