Dr Philip Ohemeng Anokye, the Clinical Coordinator at the Chiraa Government Hospital in the Sunyani West Municipality, has warned that the nation will experience more babies with body deformities and abnormalities if illegal mining activities are not brought under control.

He said decisive efforts, pragmatic and urgent measures ought to be put in place to stem the uncontrolled exposure of mercury into water bodies, food sources and the environment.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sunyani, Dr Anokye emphasised that mercury, a chemical commonly used by illegal miners to extract gold, remained dangerous and had serious health hazards and complications.

He said exposure and contamination of mercury into water bodies, food sources and the environment were dangerous because “whenever a pregnant woman consumed mercury-contaminated food or water, the chemical entered into her bloodstream and subsequently found its way into the placenta and caused irreparable damages”.

“Mercury is very a harmful substance and whenever the chemical enters the body of pregnant women, it damages the baby’s brain system and thinking faculty,” he indicated.

Dr Anokye said conditions like cerebral palsy, body disabilities and poor academic performance of children were partly as a result of mercury contaminated food and water sources, and called on everybody to support the nationwide fight to bring galamsey activities under control.