If the Indian Council of Medical Research was ambivalent about the ill effects of endosulfan in Kasargod, there was ample reason for it.
The health experts its scientists interacted with during the field visit on May 25 this year spoke in different voices.
Dr Ravindran, a physician in the area, said there were no differences in the profile of affected and unaffected areas. He told the team that liver conditions, cancer of the head and neck were common conditions in the region.
Dr Janardhanan Naik, senior medical officer at Kasargod General Hospital, said most of the cases had multifactoral etiology such as thyroid deficiencies which were present in other areas too.
The Kasargod General Hospital’s ENT Surgeon, Dr K.K. Thomas, said he had observed high levels of oral cancer but added that most of the victims were also betel chewers.
Likewise, Dr Vasanthi who had been working in the area for the last five years observed that endosulfan-related associations were on the decline.
Similarly, Dr Manoj, a physiotherapist, said that many cases normally associated with endosulfan were actually caused by other factors.
And Dr Shafir, an officer on mobile medical unit, said that most of the cases were over 15 years old, hinting they were endemic even before the aerial spraying of endosulfan.
The health experts its scientists interacted with during the field visit on May 25 this year spoke in different voices.
Dr Ravindran, a physician in the area, said there were no differences in the profile of affected and unaffected areas. He told the team that liver conditions, cancer of the head and neck were common conditions in the region.
Dr Janardhanan Naik, senior medical officer at Kasargod General Hospital, said most of the cases had multifactoral etiology such as thyroid deficiencies which were present in other areas too.
The Kasargod General Hospital’s ENT Surgeon, Dr K.K. Thomas, said he had observed high levels of oral cancer but added that most of the victims were also betel chewers.
Likewise, Dr Vasanthi who had been working in the area for the last five years observed that endosulfan-related associations were on the decline.
Similarly, Dr Manoj, a physiotherapist, said that many cases normally associated with endosulfan were actually caused by other factors.
And Dr Shafir, an officer on mobile medical unit, said that most of the cases were over 15 years old, hinting they were endemic even before the aerial spraying of endosulfan.
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