KUCHING: The recent mercury spill at Kuala Lawas Health Clinic was of very minimal amount, and it did not harm anyone.
According to acting State Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim, who received a report from the Lawas Health Office operations room yesterday, the spill was caused by a small leak to a blood pressure reading device set.
“The set had a small leak of mercury that contaminated a community nurse’s desk. The Lawas Fire and Rescue Department was called in to clean the spill immediately. Nobody was hurt, and the incident did not interfere with clinical services,” she said yesterday.
On an earlier mercury spill case that reportedly happened in Lawas Hospital, Dr Jamilah explained it was caused by a broken thermometer.
“It happened in June when taking the temperature of a child patient.
“The thermometer suddenly dropped to the floor and broke in the Emergency and Trauma Ward.
“The mercury spill was in very small quantity. The Fire and Rescue Department was also called in to handle the clean-up. There was no danger to patients or medical personnel,” she said.
The spilled mercury was placed in a secured container and handed over to a laboratory for proper disposal.