{"id":1816,"date":"2025-10-13T07:28:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/?p=1816"},"modified":"2025-10-13T07:28:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:28:48","slug":"mercury-free-medical-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/mercury-free-medical-device\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercury-Free Medical Device"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-da760498 alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-dm1iqbkd alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image alignleft uagb-block-zvdatu1z wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-left\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Picture1.jpg ,http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Picture1.jpg 780w, http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Picture1.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 150px\" src=\"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Picture1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-1817\" width=\"564\" height=\"423\" title=\"Picture1\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-rhma5ds8\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-info-box uagb-block-89q58ige uagb-infobox__content-wrap  uagb-infobox-icon-above-title uagb-infobox-image-valign-top\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-content\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-title-wrap\"><p class=\"uagb-ifb-title-prefix\">11 august, 2025<\/p><h2 class=\"uagb-ifb-title\">Push For Mercury-Free Medical Devices<\/h2><\/div><p class=\"uagb-ifb-desc\">Public health specialists, environmental advocates, and consumer rights groups have issued a strong call for the complete phase-out of mercury-based thermometers and sphygmomanometers in India, citing serious health and environmental hazards. The appeal came during a panel discussion hosted by Consumer VOICE and the Foundation for Sustainable Health India (FSHI) at Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-xmghgweg alignfull uagb-is-root-container\"><div class=\"uagb-container-inner-blocks-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-info-box uagb-block-dduxa8ez uagb-infobox__content-wrap  uagb-infobox-icon-above-title uagb-infobox-image-valign-top\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-content\"><div class=\"uagb-ifb-title-wrap\"><\/div><p class=\"uagb-ifb-desc\">Experts cautioned that while mercury devices are safe when intact, broken or improperly disposed of instruments release toxic vapours that can harm the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system, and contaminate the environment. Drawing lessons from the mercury contamination incident in Kodaikanal,\u00a0<strong>Dr. Dennis Xavier, Professor and Head of Pharmacology at St. John\u2019s National Academy of Health Sciences, stressed<\/strong>\u00a0the dangers of mercury exposure and the importance of safe handling and disposal.<br><br>India, a signatory to the\u00a0<strong>Minamata Convention on Mercury, is working with the Ministries of Health and Environment and WHO India<\/strong>\u00a0to eliminate mercury-based medical devices and promote digital and aneroid alternatives. The World Health Organization ranks mercury among the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern, especially dangerous for children, unborn babies, and nursing infants.<br><br>A 2011 Toxics Link report estimated that around eight tonnes of mercury are released in India each year from medical measuring devices\u201469% from blood pressure monitors and the rest from thermometers\u2014largely due to unsafe disposal.<br><br><strong>Dr. Lalitha of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College warned<\/strong>\u00a0that mercury exposure during pregnancy or lactation poses serious risks to future generations. Former Karnataka State Pollution Control Board officer Dr. B. Nagappa urged all healthcare facilities to strictly follow mercury spill protocols, train staff, and adopt safer alternatives.<br><br>Environmental activist\u00a0<strong>Akshay Heblikar and Consumer VOICE\u2019s Nilanjana Bose highlighted<\/strong>\u00a0the need for households to follow the healthcare sector\u2019s lead in switching to mercury-free devices, which are now accurate, affordable, and widely available.<br><br><strong>\u201cThis movement empowers people to safeguard both public health and the environment,\u201d said S.J. Chander, CEO of FSHI.<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"sjchander","author_link":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/author\/sjchander\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1816"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1819,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1816\/revisions\/1819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fshi.in\/main\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}