BHUBANESWAR: With increasing reports of poisoning cases in hospitals due to exposure to toxic elements, the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital under SOA University has decided to set up the first Poison Control Centre in Eastern India soon.
There are two Poison Control Centres in the South and two in the West besides one in Northern region. But there is none in Eastern India. A specialised centre on poisoning and toxicology will not only reduce casualties from poisoning due to lack of proper and timely diagnosis but also assist in research and police investigation on the aspect of forensic toxicology.
“Establishment of an advanced poison control centre has become an important requirement,” Medical Director of IMS and Sum Hospital Prof DK Roy said at a national seminar on forensic toxicology organised by the hospital here on Sunday.
Leading toxicologist and head of Analytical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Prof VV Pillay highlighted the emerging trends in diagnosis and management of poisoning by way of a ‘toxicodromic’ approach so as to enable the appropriate assessment and differential diagnosis of a poisoned patient.
Such an approach, besides being useful to a clinical toxicologist in the treatment of poisoning victims, would also be of help to a forensic toxicologist or investigating officer in analysing the possible cause of poisoning fatalities, he stated.
Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma inaugurated the seminar and said forensic toxicology was a critical part of police investigation as in many cases the exact cause of the death of a person remained unknown. Such advanced facilities will help in empowering investigations to get to the truth of the case.
Director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Prof AK Mohapatra said the subject of toxicology had assumed significance because people were continuously exposed to toxic effects due to food and water intake or through environmental hazards.
Among others, Medical Superintendent Dr PK Mohanty and Prof P Samantasinghar of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology spoke on the occasion.