New Age, Dhaka, bangladesh
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Unsafe disposal of clinical waste poses health hazards in Ctg
By Tushar Hayat . Chittagong
More than 200 hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres dump wastes
haphazardly poses serious health hazards to the Chittagong city
dwellers.
Bloodstained cottons, gauges, needles, blades, broken bottles of
medicines or glasses and even amputated human organs are dumped in
dustbins or open spaces adjacent to the Chittagong Medical College and
Hospital and different clinics, sources in different hospitals and
clinics in the city said.
Dumping of sharp needles, blades, syringes and broken glasses in
dustbins and open spaces often causes injuries to the pedestrians,
they added.
Medical experts said haphazard dumping of infectious clinical
wastes can result in deadly diseases like tetanus, gangrene,
hepatitis, tuberculosis and even HIV.
Hundreds of children are growing up in an unhygienic environment as
most of the privately owned clinics and pathological labs are located
in residential areas like Panchlaish, Katalganj, Mehidibag, Halishahar
and Chandgaon.
Dr AKM Fazlul Quader, managing director of the Metropolitan
Hospital Private Limited, said they were being compelled to dump
medical wastes into dustbins in the absence of a proper disposal
system. =EF=BF=BDThe city corporation should collect wastes from the
hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories and dump them in a
hygienic manner,=EF=BF=BD he said adding that the corporation was quite
indifferent in this regard.
Abul Hossain, a heart specialist, said radioactive wastes, unused
medicines or vaccines are returned to the manufacturers and certain
wastes are dumped under the ground in many countries of the world.
=EF=BF=BDThere is no guideline for hygienic disposal of medical wastes
in=
our country,=EF=BF=BD he said stressing the need for formulating a
guideline=
and enacting laws with provision for tough punishment for unhygienic
dumping.
The chief health officer of the corporation, Salim Akter Chowdhury,
said they were not getting any cooperation from the authorities of
hospitals, clinics and pathological labs for hygienic disposal of
medical wastes.
=EF=BF=BDWe are yet to get any response despite sending repeated
letters
requesting their cooperation for developing a well-planned and
hygienic waste management system,=EF=BF=BD he added.
He also said the doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and other
staff in hospitals, clinics and pathological labs were supposed to
keep infectious, non-infectious, sharp, anatomical, solid and liquid
wastes in separate bins for proper disposal. =EF=BF=BDBut most of them are
either unaware or careless regarding the matter=EF=BF=BD.
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