Disposal of medical waste

The situation with regard to unsafe disposal of medical waste exists in most cities and towns of the country

In the twin cities of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, dangerous medical waste is disposed of carelessly, mostly at street corners posing serious health hazards to people, especially garbage pickers. Scavengers are attracted to such garbage dumps for the simple reason that used syringes, drip bottles, used plastic bags and other such ‘valuables’ fetch good prices at shops dealing in discarded things. This is going on, with there seemingly being no rules to stop the abominable practice. This is continuing even though it is common knowledge that this exercise exposes all and sundry to dangerous diseases. Spots close to street clinics in the twin cities are the favourite haunts of garbage collectors as it is mostly where the ‘valuable’ medical waste is dumped. Dealers send these ‘treasures’ to wholesalers in Lahore where they are sold to recycling industries. These highly dangerous hospital waste are recycled into toys, household utensils, pots and pans and gloves, etc. As the recycled things pose health risks to the users and those exposed to them, this further complicates matters.

Doctors say most hospital and medical waste are hazardous for human health. Garbage collectors and those dealing in discarded materials are very likely to be infected with AIDS, hepatitis and TB if they handle syringes and other disposable appliances used on the patients suffering from these dreaded diseases. Those handling items recycled from medical waste too run the risk of contracting deadly illnesses. A similar situation with regard to unsafe disposal of medical waste exists in most cities and towns of the country. Piles of such hazardous waste can even be seen close to government hospitals. The habit of disregarding personal and social hygiene seems to trump the awareness about hygiene and safe disposal of hazardous medical waste. Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency maintain that law makes it binding on hospitals to keep incinerators that burn medical waste at high temperature, violators are fined and dealers and recycling industries are fined. Such talks are only pleasant to hear.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2021.

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