While for many it is a given in today’s digital world, in Israel there are many mercury thermometers still in use in hospitals and medical clinics. This is coming to an end as the Ministry of Health this week released a directive banning the use of the item which contains mercury. The directive also addresses sphygmomanometers (device to measure blood pressure) containing mercury.
The directive is prompted by a World Health Organization decision this year to minimize the presence of the poisonous substance, mercury. The ban will be implemented in stages, with stage one prohibiting hospitals from acquiring the items mentioned. By the end of 2014, pharmacies and kupot cholim HMOs will not be permitted to sale them on a retail level. Beginning in January 2015, they will be banned from import.
As far as use in hospitals and medical clinics, they will be phased out in the coming year and replaced with models not containing mercury.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
I hope the Ministry of Religion weighs in, because mercury thermometers are Muttor on Shabbos & Yom Tov even in non life threatening situations, whereas electric thermometers are not.
This will make problems for Shabbos, since the electronic thermometers are probable an issur de’oraisa, which would be ossur for a choleh she’ein bo sakana, unlike the mercury thermometers which are only an issur derabonon of medida.
Will we ba able to buy them in the drug stores? What can we do for Shabbos?
what will they do on shabbos?
Not in thermomoters, but yes in your bodies. Lets save the mercury from being wasted on thermometers and put it in vaccines, this way we’ll get the job done faster. And besides it’s good for the economy to have all these brain damaged kids rummaging around. I mean what will all those therapist do if we wouldn’t be injecting mercury into our babies?
For those who think there is no mercury in vaccines anymore, do your research. Here is a start. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM263239.pdf
A Quote from one of the package inserts
“Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is not used in the manufacturing process for the single dose 338 presentations; therefore these products contain no preservative. The multi-dose presentation 339 contains thimerosal, added as a preservative; each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 mcg of mercury.”
the directive is prompted by someone trying to make money, as is everything else in israel. i have heard too many stories to believe otherwise.
digital thermometers are problem for shabbos
What’s the big deal? Manual (non-digital) thermeters that don’t use Mercury have been around for years.