BARISHAL, Dec 22: Public health is under threat in public and private hospitals in the southern (S) region because of poor medical waste management.
Minimum waste management is absent in managing and processing waste in two government medical college hospitals, six district Sadar hospitals, 36 private hospitals, and other healthcare-providing institutions.
The government enacted Medical Waste Management Rules (MWMR)-2008, following the instruction of Environment Preservation Act-1995, and published gazette on November 5. Both Health Ministry and Department of Health (DoH) are allegedly showing apathy in ensuring good medical waste management.
In order to meet the purpose of the MWMR-2008, there is one committee (authority) in each division of the country. This committee included divisional director of the DoH as the president and one official nominated by the divisional commissioner. Besides, the committee included one official from the DoE.
Serious deplorable condition of waste management is prevailing in about small and medium 50 private hospitals and clinics in Barishal City. Some NGOs took permission and licence from the DoE and started removing waste from these institutions, which is considered an eye-wash.
Very recently Barishal City Corporation (BCC) has taken up the waste management work. That is why the DoE didn't renew registrations of the NGOs.
BCC was supposed to start removing waste in November. But it is yet to start. Later on, it was supposed to start cleaning on December 1. But still it is not started.
BCC's Conservancy Department Head Dr. Rabiul said, "Our preparation is final."
The same waste condition is continuing in all Sadar upazila hospitals. Waste of these hospitals is lying on roads. BCC's cleaners collect such waste irregularly.
According to sources, cleaners of all public and private hospitals and BCC are not trained up.
Works of waste collection, separation, packing, destroying, burning, rectification and removing are not taking place according to the government rules.
Removing contagious liquid pressurized waste, in-contagious liquid waste, anatomical waste, pathological waste, chemical effluent, pharmaceutical waste, and inflammatory waste is completely absent.
Divisional Director of DoH and President of Waste Management Authority Dr Humayun Shahin Khan confirmed weakness in both public and private healthcare institutions. But an incinerator is going to be set up soon at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital to manage pharmaceutical and medical waste, he informed.
Along with this, he said, he will recommend taking a combined project in order to manage waste healthily in all government hospitals in the southern region like elsewhere of the county.
