Private legal practitioner Dr. Dennis Bortey has described the galamsey threat as a serious public health danger. He expressed deep concern about the increasing presence of toxic heavy metals in food and water. He expressed dissatisfaction with the quantum of heavy metals that food is laced with. Dr. Bortey explained that beyond visible water pollution, dangerous substances have infiltrated the nation’s food supply.
Dr. Bortey explained that although the body requires some vitamins in this water, it does so in minimal amounts. “Even iron, which is supposed to help our blood in terms of increasing our blood level or hemoglobin, is needed in a certain amount. Beyond a certain amount, iron becomes poisonous.”
Dr. Bortey warned that excess heavy metals could lead to serious conditions such as hemochromatosis or hemociderosis. He warned that current contamination levels are alarming, with hospitals seeing more young people with strokes.
“This morning, I’ve seen a young man, 36. He was like, I don’t know why my blood pressure is 171,” he revealed. The galamsey threat, he said, is not confined to mining areas but affects the entire country.
Toxic Metals Pose Nationwide Risks
Dr. Bortey stressed that contaminated water reaches homes nationwide through taps despite treatment efforts.
“No matter how much our sewage system tries to eliminate all this from the water, the quantum of these toxic substances that come into the arena for it to be filtered means that some will still leak or seep into the water we drink,” he said.
According to him, no one is safe. He explained that heavy metals in food are invisible but have severe chemical effects on the body, noting that the brain’s protective barrier cannot stop all toxic metals such as mercury, arsenic, or lead.
“With time, it keeps accumulating in the brain substance. It will bring to the fore a neurological problem,” he warned.
This, he said, could lead to increased cases of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s, and dementia among younger people.
Beyond the brain, Dr. Bortey warned that these substances can damage the lungs, heart, and even human genetic makeup.
“Future generations that will be born are likely to have a lot of genetic problems,” Dr. Bortey stated. He urged urgent action against the galamsey threat to prevent worsening health conditions.
“The earlier we do something about it, the better. Otherwise, we should brace ourselves for a huge, long haul of a fight against all kinds of disease conditions that we are likely to be plagued with into the future,” he remarked.
