For decades, a thin silver thread of mercury lay at the heart of medical care in India — inside thermometers
tucked under tongues, sphygmomanometers strapped around arms, and equipment stored in clinics across the country. But that familiar glint masked a dangerous truth. Mercury is a potent neuro- and nephrotoxin, capable of damaging the brain, nervous system and kidneys. World Health Organization (WHO) lists mercury as one of the top ten chemicals of public health concern. India is rewriting this legacy.
As a party to the Minamata Convention, a multilateral environment agreement to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and its compounds, the country has been steadily pushing its health sector toward a mercury-free future.
India’s journey towards mercury-free medical measuring devices started in 2007, when Delhi became the first state to announce a complete phase-out of mercury devices. Following a directive from Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2010, the requirement to adopt mercury-free devices was integrated into the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) Guidelines and key accreditation frameworks such as National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), Kayakalp and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH).
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change followed suit and framed Guidelines for Environment Sound Management of Mercury Waste from Healthcare Facilities in 2012, further strength national efforts to curb mercury emissions from the health sector. The transition is more than a technological upgrade – it is a commitment to safeguarding public health and protecting the environment.
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With that, a policy backbone was in place — clear, coordinated, and forward-looking. Non-toxic alternatives such as digital thermometers for measuring body temperature; digital and aneroid devices for monitoring blood pressure are safer, reliable and easy to use.
Allaying concerns about the accuracy of digital instruments, Dr Anupam Prakash, Head of Department of Medicine at Lady Hardinge Medical College Delhi, said that the devices are regularly calibrated to ensure accurate and reliable readings.
/countries/india/measuring-mercury-devices.jpg?sfvrsn=60ccec4a_4 "Mercury-free medical measuring devices in clinical use")
“We faced problems with the mercury thermometers — there was the risk of children and seizure patients biting the thermometer, leading to the accidental ingestion of mercury. With the digital thermometers, there
is no such hazard, and we have been using it in our department,” says Dr Preeti Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Cardiology at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
WHO is supporting India’s Ministries of Health & Family Welfare and Environment, Forest and Climate Change to phase-out mercury from medical devices. In an assessment undertaken across the country to track progress and identify gaps in this process, it was found that most public health facilities have phased-out mercury-based medical devices.
“WHO India will continue to support the Government to ensure that the remaining public health facilities complete this transition, and that India establishes robust systems for sound management of mercury waste,” says Ms Payden, Acting WHO Representative to India.
Intersectoral collaboration among health, environment and industry stakeholders will be critical to eliminating avoidable sources of mercury pollution, a crucial step toward healthier communities.
India’s commitment reflects a broader recognition that health and environment are inseparable. Eliminating avoidable sources of mercury pollution requires collaboration not only across ministries, but also with industry partners and health care leaders.
The nationwide shift toward mercury-free health care is more than a regulatory achievement — it is a safeguard for patients and health-care workers, and a legacy for future generations. As India continues this transition, it stands as a model for how environmental stewardship can be woven seamlessly into public health practice.
Related link:
India moves towards a mercury free healthcare sector