The centre, which was established in August 2007, has been taking nearly 150 calls per month from all over Maharashtra and sometimes outside the state. Nearly 80% of the calls, the doctors there say, are related to suicide.
In a freak accident last month, a Kolhapur resident was exposed to carbon monoxide while having a bath. He was found unconscious in his bathroom.
The doctor who treated him had little clue how to cure the patient, and called up the only Poison and Drug Information Centre in the state at PD Hinduja Hospital. He was revived with 100% oxygen and supportive antibiotics.
The centre, which was established in August 2007, has been taking nearly 150 calls per month from all over Maharashtra and sometimes outside the state. Nearly 80% of the calls, the doctors there say, are related to suicide.
Dr TF Ashavaid who runs the centre said, “In 1996, we experienced the worst food poisoning in the state at Bhiwandi in which 52 people died. So we felt a need to establish a centre like this in Mumbai where doctors can call in case of emergency.”
The centre uses the accepted database information for poisons and drugs, Micromedix, to help the caller and also liaisons with Poison Centre at Pittsburgh, USA. Usually, the callers are general practitioners, nursing homes and small hospitals. “We provide them with information on antidotes, clinical effects of the poison or drug, range of toxicity,” said Dr Ashavaid. The poison centre even offers online advice.
The centre fields most calls related to intake of organic phosphorus compounds (like Baygon and other insecticides), rat poison, Tik 20 and phenyl. “There was a case in which a person drank organic phosphorus with alcohol and Fanta to make it easy,” said a clinician from the centre.
While most of the cases are related to suicide attempts, some are also freak cases of children consuming things like household cleaners, medicines and other items found in the house.
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