Shah Alam Nur :Medical waste continues to pose serious health hazards to Dhaka city residents, as most hospitals, clinics and pathology labs dump waste into public bins. Most of the government and private hospitals, and clinics in the country, especially in the capital, dispose of toxic medical waste rampantly violating environmental rules and laws.Most of the hospitals, clinics and pathology centres throw different infectious waste such as blood, bandages, cottons, sponges, swabs, plaster, catheters, blood transfusion bags and tubes, blood-infected saline sets, gore, infected dresses and syringes of diarrhoea patients, it is alleged.These medical institutions also dump awful waste such as human bodies, cut-off limbs, tissue, tumors, placentas or pregnancy-related waste and different radioactive isotopes. Those are contaminated by radioactive material and unused machinery materials which are easily infectious. On several occasions human body parts were founding in canals and lakes which showed a clear manifestation that hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres are neglecting scientific management of the medical waste, alleged the city dwellers. With hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres growing in all parts of the city, medical waste has become a serious concern for human health and the environment.According to the Bangladesh Private Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association (BPCDOA), there are 583 government hospitals and 2,501 registered non-government hospitals in the country. There are also many unregistered private hospitals in the country, it said. The BPCDOA data also showed that there are 36,000 tons of medical waste is generated every year across the country, out of which approximately 7,200 tons are hazardous. There are two types of hospital waste — hazardous waste and non-hazardous (general) waste. It said the non-hazardous (general) waste such as domestic type waste; packing materials, non-infectious materials do not pose any handling problems to human health or the environment. The hazardous wastes include infectious waste (contains pathogens in sufficient concentrations and it could result in disease), pathological waste (include blood, body fluids, tissues, organs, body parts, etc.), sharps (needles, blades, syringes, scalpels, saws, broken glass, nails and any items that could cause a cut or puncture), and very small amount of pharmaceutical and chemical wastes.Dr MA Matin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) said the cities are running without proper waste disposal facilities posing serious heath hazards to adjacent localities. He said the hospital wastes include bandage, cotton, saline bags, syringes and amputated parts of patients’ body.Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said the two city corporations seem to be uncoordinated in managing the waste and workers can be seen collecting rubbish around noon and even during rush hours. Poor people also are seen collect hospital wastes and sell those for recycling. He said the situation worsens during rain. “Garbage is washed away from the dustbin due to rain and ends up all over the road.”He said the government should be responsible for arranging a proper system for scientific management of waste of the government hospitals. The government should also strictly monitor the private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres that are charging high in the name of safe medical facilities so that they are forced to properly manage medical waste, he added.Dulal Hossen, an official of Health Department of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said a mass awareness campaign has been launched and necessary funds released from the city corporation for ensuring proper disposal of clinical waste.As per Medical Waste (Management and Processing) Rules, 2008, clinics and pathology centres must have their own waste management system and also should obtain environmental clearance. Without this no private clinic, hospital or pathology centre is supposed to be approved or registered.
