THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) supported the initiative of the University of the Philippines Manila-National Institute of Health (UP-NIH) to conduct a study intended to determine the association of chronic traffic exposure to hearing loss wherein select agency field personnel will be the target participants.

MMDA Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Director Baltazar Melgar said that traffic enforcers work under punishing weather conditions, stressing that they are also exposed to health hazards such as traffic noise exposure and air pollution.

“It must be noted that MMDA traffic enforcers, classified as civilian uniformed personnel, are exposed to health hazards while performing their duties,” Melgar said.

According to Melgar, the study will be led by Dr. Kim Ong of the UP-NIH and assisted by the MMDA Medical Clinic headed by Dr. Annabelle Ombina.

Select field personnel assigned at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) will undergo the screening process, such as a hearing test and in-depth interview.

“The screening process is expected to be done in the second week of August. Based on the criteria set by the UP-NIH, traffic enforcers must have a five-year field exposure experience, regardless of their employment status,” he further said.

Meanwhile, a recent study by scientist Emmanuel Baja revealed that exposure to black carbon and heavy metals while on duty along the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila like EDSA, where hundreds of thousands of vehicles traverse daily, affects traffic enforcers’ blood pressure and lung function.

The study likewise showed that the lead found in enforcers’ blood could imply systemic inflammation and may also be linked to heart damage.

Currently, almost 600 traffic enforcers are assigned to man traffic along EDSA.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Edd Reyes