Half a million calls to the East German poison control center

30 years after the founding of the joint poison information center of several East German states, the experts working there have dealt with around 566,000 inquiries about poisoning risks. According to the Thuringian Ministry of Health, the annual number of consultations rose from 5,000 in the founding year to around 28,300 recently. The states of Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania founded the center, which is based in Erfurt, at the beginning of 1994. It can be reached on the poison emergency number 0361-730730.

The center advises consumers, emergency services, doctors, veterinarians and private pet owners in cases of suspected poisoning. The advice is provided by a team of doctors and pharmacists. Their advice is particularly in demand during the mushroom season in the fall. But risks from certain food supplements are also an issue. According to previous information, the Poison Centre is most frequently contacted in cases of poisoning in the home.

Thuring a symposium, Thuringia's Managing Health Minister Heike Werner (Left Party) praised the work of the center by evaluating and following up on cases of poisoning.

The costs for equipping the Poison Information Centre are borne by the supporting states, with the share depending on the size of the population. Thuringia, for example, accounts for around 260,000 euros. There are other poison information centers in Berlin, Mainz, Göttingen, Munich and Freiburg.