The workers from the Osasco region who had contact with asbestos at some point in their professional activities now have the assistance of an outpatient clinic at the Incor (Heart Institute), linked to the Clinics Hospital of São Paulo. The attendance will prioritize the victims of Osasco, which for decades has hosted factories such as Eternit and Lonaflex, whose main raw material was the carcinogenic fiber.
The news was given during the first meeting of the 38th Cycle of Debates in Osasco, by the Abrea (Brazilian Association of Asbestos Victims) militant, Fernanda Giannasi, and by the doctor in charge of the occupational health department at the Incor, Ubiratan de Paula Santos.
The relatives who had direct or indirect contact with clothes and other belongings of the workers of those companies can also be attended to, as well as the workers of the companies who used asbestos in any stage of production. For this, people who fit into this profile must seek the Union for more information about registration, which will be done with the Abrea to proceed with the Incor.
The specialized outpatient clinic was possible due to the allocation of R$ 1.6 million fine paid by the Eternit, since the company did not inform the SUS and INSS of their ex-workers who became ill because of asbestos.
Asbestos exposure can lead to a myriad of serious health problems, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive and incurable cancer.