Medical waste littered outside Dow Dental College in Karachi

Murtaza Wahab says Sea View medical waste report finalised, responsible party identified


Sameer Mandhro September 17, 2019
PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

KARACHI: Despite the Sindh government's directives, various public and private hospitals in the city have not started disposing of their medical waste properly. At least four large trash bins, placed outside the Dow Dental College, were found full of medical waste, including gloves, syringes, urine bags and other items on Monday.

The trash bins were seen near the gates of Dow Dental College and Dow University located on Baba-e-Urdu Road. The Express Tribune reached out to several officials, but no one seemed to know who had thrown the waste in the bins placed for general waste. There are various laboratories and medical facilities in the vicinity, besides the Services Hospital, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (DRPCHK) and the Lady Dufferin Hospital.

"These gloves are being used in the dental college," said a senior medical official of the (DRPCHK). "They usually dump the waste outside the premises," he claimed, adding that most of the hospitals dumped their waste on the roads. "Except a few hospitals, the majority of the private hospitals don't have incinerators," said the official, who asked not to be named. "Where do they dump then?" he questioned. Ironically, the waste was also strewn on the road and footpaths. Meanwhile, students of the college and university and patients visiting various hospitals along with their attendants struggled to navigate their way through the waste.

"We have a proper system to dispose of the waste," claimed DRPCHK Medical Superintendent Dr Khadim Hussain Qureshi. "I don't think the waste was dumped by my staff," he said, adding that an investigation would be carried out to ascertain if someone from the hospital had dumped the waste in the bins meant for general waste.

No mechanism to destroy medical waste at Sindh's hospitals

A recurring issue

On September 2, a large quantity of medical waste was discovered at the Clifton Beach, after which the provincial government had ordered an inquiry into the matter. The inquiry has yet to reveal who had dumped the waste at the public place.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser on Environment, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, had promised that his department would write letters to the hospitals not to dump the trash at open places. His department's officials confirmed to The Express Tribune that letters had already been written to various agencies, including public and private hospitals.

"I have asked the officials to investigate the issue," Murtaza confirmed to The Express Tribune on Monday, adding his teams were trying their best to fix the backlog of several years.

In response to a question regarding the medical waste found at the Clifton Beach, he said that the inquiry report has been completed. "I don't want to name the hospital from where it came," he said. "It's very disappointing to know the facts," he added. "We want to fix the issue, and not level allegations against anyone [hospital]," he maintained.

"Let me check who has dumped the trash at the road," said the provincial Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Khan Mohammad Mahar. "We will take stern action against those involved," he pledged. District South Deputy Commissioner Salahuddin Ahmed recently launched a campaign against open littering, but the piles of garbage across his district have not been removed. On August 15, the Sindh government decided to launch the 'Blue Jacket Movement' with the slogan 'Say No To Open Littering', under which an awareness drive was planned to start in District South in its first phase, followed by other districts in subsequent phases. Practically, no one has been seen on the ground to follow the orders of the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2019.

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