Medical waste threatens public health

Mixed with garbage, dumped or resold, recycled waste risks spreading deadly diseases

KARACHI:

Negligence by authorities and hospital administrations has led to improper disposal of medical waste in the city. Much of it is mixed with regular garbage, dumped at landfills, beaches, and other locations, or illegally sold. It is then recycled and reintroduced into the market, posing a serious risk of spreading deadly diseases.

Due to lack of monitoring by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), this illegal practice has been ongoing for years. After the 18th Amendment, SEPA introduced the Hospital Waste Management Act in 2014. However, its performance in this regard has been almost negligible. SEPA merely sends letters to hospital administrations, instructing them to dispose of waste according to international standards, but practically no action is taken against those who violate these rules.

A Sindh Health Department official, speaking anonymously, conceded that SEPA has largely failed to enforce its regulations, allowing private contractors to collect medical waste from hospitals and resell it in the market. With thousands of healthcare facilities in the city producing large volumes of waste daily, much of it is not disposed of properly.

Major incineration facilities are operated by KMC, and a few teaching hospitals have their own plants. However, many district-level hospitals lack incinerators, leading lower staff to sell waste to unregistered or untrained contractors. These contractors often recycle items like syringes and dump the remaining hazardous waste into drains and waterways.

Although some private hospitals and companies have incinerators, their capacity is limited and insufficient for the city's needs. Meanwhile, KMC's two incinerator plants are about 28 years old and have exceeded their lifespan, though one has recently been upgraded. Hospitals are not obligated to use KMC facilities and may do so voluntarily for a nominal fee.

An officer from KMC, also speaking anonymously, informed that the two incinerators were installed near Mewa Shah Graveyard in 1998. One was upgraded on March 4, while the other remains non-functional. Previously, their capacity had dropped to 400-600 kilograms per hour, although the original capacity was one tonne per hour. After the upgrade, the restored plant is now again capable of burning one tonne of waste per hour.

"By 2022, 180 hospitals were registered with KMC, but now the number has decreased to 125. All 13 KMC-run public hospitals dispose of their medical waste at KMC's incinerator plants. Some government hospitals have installed their own incinerators, while others rely on private contractors, whose monitoring falls under SEPA's responsibility," explained the officer.

Director of Municipal Services at KMC, Rashid Baig, claimed that one incinerator has been upgraded and the second will be upgraded soon. "At least six more plants are needed to handle medical waste from all hospitals and clinics in the city. Planning is underway under the direction of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, and with SEPA's cooperation, implementation will begin soon," said Baig.

Regional planner Dr Syed Nawaz-ul-Huda shared that a few years ago, he participated in a beach cleanup campaign. "During the campaign, used syringes, blood bags, and other medical waste were found mixed with domestic garbage at several locations. This indicates the absence of an organized system for medical waste disposal," noted Dr Nawaz, who emphasized that to ensure scientific disposal of medical waste, the powers defined under existing laws should be fully delegated to KMC, and more incinerator plants should be installed across the city.

The Express Tribune attempted multiple times to contact SEPA Director Imran Sabir for his comments, but he did not respond.