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Has RAK realised asbestos danger too late?

Though the municipalities of Dubai, Ajman and Sharjah have already limited the use of asbestos, a highly hazardous building material, Ras Al Khaimah - another busy centre of construction in the UAE - has taken the much-needed step only recently, but not before it might have affected the health of many people.

The serious health hazard posed by prolonged exposure to asbestos, was exposed recently when a 63-year-old Eritrean was diagnosed cancer of the larynx while receiving treatment at NMC Hospital. He only had a few more months to live, said the doctors.

Dr Virendra Tewari, a gastroenterologist at NMC said: “The man, a non-smoker was serving in a local road construction company for decades. In February last year, he was diagnosed as having cancer of the larynx.”

Said Dr Tewari: “This case brought our focus on occupational and environmental health hazards because the usual causes of cancer of the larynx are tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. But in this case, the cancer was a direct result of chronic exposure to asbestos.”

Dr Tewari said the patient was absolutely unable to swallow either solids and liquids and the main challenge before the doctors was how to start feeding. A feeding tube could have been inserted through one of the nostrils into the stomach, but this was not possible because the cancer mass occupied the whole area in the upper throat.

The whole procedure to help him survive was thus rather painstaking but the doctors did succeed in finding an alternative to feed the patient and save him from starvation. Once cured, the patient returned to his home country, added Dr Tewari.

Speaking about the nature of diseases that could be caused due to exposure to asbestos, Dr Tewari said. “Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage, lung cancer. Other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney can also develop.

“A greater degree of public awareness and accelerated research into replacement of asbestos is needed to combat such occupational health hazards," asserted Dr Tewari.

Need for special panel stressed

RAS AL KHAIMAH - Speaking to Khaleej Times on the asbestos issue that might have affected the health of several workers, Dr Yasir Al Noaimi, Director of RAK Medical Zone, said the emirate has no specialised government body to look after issues related to occupational health hazards.

“This includes health problems caused by asbestos. Regretfully, not only do we not have a specialised body to look into such issues, the Ministry of Health (MoE) has no plans, as yet, to establish any such body,” he admitted.

The emirate has seven cement factories besides a number of quarries and tile and ceramic factories, but no asbestos plant. In a recent move, aimed at providing labourers with a healthy living and work environment, the RAK Municipality banned companies from using asbestos for roofing in labourers compounds.

The civic body also issued a circular recently ordering all construction and industrial institutions in the emirate not to use the material which has been proved to be a cause for the respiratory system cancer. “It is a very dangerous material which has been proved worldwide to cause great health hazards to those who work in its production or use it for domestic purposes such as roofing of shaded areas. In RAK, the material was being used to make roofs for workers’ residential compound,” a civic body official said.

Saif Salim Al Shamsi, Deputy Director of the Ajman Municipality said that the municipality had banned the use of the material in roofing or any other purpose in Ajman two years ago. The municipality also imposed a fine of Dh500 for violating this ban .

In Sharjah, an official said that the usage of the material in construction had been banned since the World Health Organisation (WHO) pointed out its damaging effects on health.

He also urged the public to cooperate and tip off the municipality (on its emergency services number: 993) in case they see the material still in use anywhere.

Surprise raids planned

ASBESTOS, which is used in a range of building materials to make them more rigid and fire resistant, is extremely dangerous if inhaled in higher concentrations over a period of time as they can cause serious lung diseases, including cancer. A Ras Al Khaimah Municipality official pointed out that the municipality is planning to conduct surprise raids on labour compounds to ensure that they adhere to the prescribed rules and regulations.

• UAE
• Ras Al Khaimah
• Dubai
• Sharjah