Environmental hazard: EPA warns hospitals in Gilgit to set up waste disposal system

Disposal of hospital waste at public places risks spread of TB, HIV, hepatitis and polio

GILGIT: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has issued warning to various hospitals and clinics in Gilgit town against throwing hazardous waste in public places.

The EPA has given health facilities 15 days to install equipment for handling waste. Health facilities could be closed down if they lack proper mechanisms for disposing waste, wrote EPA Assistant Director Khadim Hussain in a letter addressed to director health services Gilgit and managements of private and public hospitals and clinics.

“It has been repeatedly observed that hospitals clinics and laboratories are dumping hazardous healthcare waste adjacent to residential areas and along roadsides,” read the letter.

It further said the practice not only affected the environment adversely, but also posed serious threats to the people living in surrounding areas.

Clinical waste is said to be one of the major factors spreading contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis and polio. The narcotics control committee also expressed serious concerns recently over reuse of syringes by drug addicts, asking EPA to take legal action against those responsible.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Wednesday, Hussain said used items including syringes and butterfly needles contaminated with blood and other intravenous fluids are being used by drug addicts.

“This is a serious issue which we cannot ignore,” said Hussain. “This needs to end now.” According to Hussain, open dumping of the waste was violation of Environmental Protection Act 2014 and Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005.

Managements of various hospitals present in Gigit were instructed two months ago to use incinerators, but to no avail, he added.

During an inspection of some of the hospitals, Hussain said the incinerators were found to be out of order with staff using them as bins.

Besides the two main government hospitals, many other health facilities were issued notices, Hussain said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2017.