KOCHI: A three-day annual workshop of the Toxinology Society of India, being organised to discuss advancements in toxinology that deals with microbial, plant and animal venoms; poisons; and toxins, kicked off at Nedumbassery near here on Saturday. The workshop, organised jointly by Little Flower Hospital, Angamaly, and Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences (SNIMS), Chalaka, was inaugurated by Dr C K Eapen. The function was presided over by Little Flower Hospital director Dr Paul V Madan.
Experts led by Dr Joseph K Joseph of the Department of Nephrology at Little Flower Hospital; SNIMS principal Commodore Dr M J John; Oxford University, UK, Tropical Medicine Emeritus Prof David A Warrel; IUCN/SSC, Kolkota, consultant Romulus Whitaker and National University of Singapore Department of Biological Sciences professor R Manjunath Kini spoke.
At the workshop, experts discussed the various complex impacts of snakebite and bites by scorpions and spiders on human body. The effect of venom varies in different regions even when bitten by the same species of snakes. About 50 thesis were presented on various topics, including ‘Wrong Notions about Treatment’, ‘Superstitions’ and ‘Advancements in Research.’