Times of Suriname

**0& LPSRUWV PHGV IRU PHUFXU\ SRLVRQHG ZRUNHUV

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The *uyana *eology and 0ines &ommission **0& is actively trying to get medical assistance for its workers who have been found with elevated levels of mercury in their blood.

**0& &ommissione­r 1ewell 'ennison told .aieteur 1ews that medication­s that are not available in *uyana are being imported from the 8nited States of America.

.aieteur 1ews understand­s that the drugs will reach *uyana in less than two weeks.

)urther, all employees who have been tested locally are also going to be retested. Samples of their blood have reportedly already been sent overseas.

'ennison said that the *00& continues to treat the matter of mercury poisoning ³very seriously.´

+e said that the entity will stand all the necessary costs associated with helping the workers affected by the mercury emissions.

:orkers were exposed to excessive mercury emissions from a lab hosted in **0&¶s compound where gold is burnt to get rid of the mercury. The facility actually belongs to the *uyana *old %oard but is housed in **0&¶s compound.

*old %oard &hairman, *abriel /all told the media yesterday that a Trinidadia­n firm will, over the next two days, conduct several tests at the %rickdam compound where the lab is housed. +e said that the firm will be checking to see if the emissions of mercury are limited ³so that we can have a certain level of security again.´

(Kaieteur News)

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