Bio-medical waste dumped outside Ambala hospital

Tribune News Service

Ambala, August 23

Bio-medical waste, including catheter, surgical gloves, syringes, empty boxes and blood-stained cotton swabs, among others, was found dumped outside the Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital today.

A doctor on condition of anonymity said, “Bio-medical waste should not be left in the open. It is hazardous. Bio-waste is disposed of scientifically. If the waste is lying outside the hospital, it is negligence on the part of the hospital. Untreated biomedical waste can lead to infections and other diseases. Moreover, catheters, surgical gloves, and syringes, should have been in the red bag and not in black bag. The Haryana Government had hired a company to collect bio-medical waste from the hospitals.”

Another doctor said, “Health Minister Anil Vij and Director General Health Services Dr Satish Aggarwal, attended an event in the hospital. While making arrangements, someone might have mistakenly kept the bags outside.”

Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital SMO Dr Satish said, “Bio-waste is segregated and the waste lying in black polythene is meant to be lifted by employees of the Municipal Corporation. Since construction work of Tertiary Care Cancer Centre is on, the garbage bin was placed outside the hospital.”

He said, “Ragpickers often open bags and try to find things they can sell. Bio-medical waste is properly disposed of by the hospital for which we have a temporary system inside the hospital. Due to space constraints, the garbage bin was placed outside the hospital.”

Dr Poonam Jain, officiating Chief Medical Officer, said, “The matter has come to my notice and I have sought an explanation from the authorities concerned. The matter will be probed and relevant action will be taken. Bio-medical waste must not have been in a black bag. Bio-medical waste is collected by a firm named Rudraksh.”