Medical wastes pose threat to public health in Khulna

Despite it being mandatory, the clinics and hospitals do not have their own incinerators to destroy wastes

Compounds of most of the hospitals and clinics in Khulna city and district and their nearby places remain littered with medical wastes, posing threat to the environment and public health.
While rules make it mandatory for clinics and hospitals to have their own incinerators to dispose of medical wastes effectively, most hospitals and clinics in the city do not have them.
Bandages, syringes and needles, amputated parts of human body, stool, urine, blood, coughs and other things examined in laboratories, plastic and glass bottles of medicines, ingredients used in medical services and several other disposable and non-disposable items are dumped on the city roadsides, which often spill out of the bins.
Street urchins collect the used syringes and other used clinical materials from the nearby areas of the hospitals and sell these to several syndicates at low prices.
The syndicates again supply the used clinical materials to medicine shops and the patients.
The used syringes and other used clinical materials spread diseases.
According to the Khulna divisional office of the health department, there are 164 clinics and diagnostic centers in Khulna.
Moreover, the state-run Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), Khulna General (sadar) Hospital, Khulna Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital, Khulna Chest Diseases Hospital, Khulna Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospitals, Maa O Shishu Hospital, Khulna Diabetic Hospital and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) also maintain several hospitals.  
Health experts express their grave concern over the disposal of medical waste here and there, especially in and around the hospitals, as the unsafe dumping poses a serious health risk.
They said patients and their attendants may contract diseases if they come into contact with the infectious medical debris.
While visiting Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), Khulna General (sadar) Hospital, Khulna Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital, this correspondent found blood-soaked medical wastes littering drains and toilets of the hospitals.
Patients and their attendants have to put up with the obnoxious odour coming from the medical wastes.
Md Nasir Uddin, 65, from Satkhira district, who has been receiving treatment at KMCH for ten days, said that he found toilets and open space of the hospital littered with blood-soaked cotton and used syringes.
“Bad odour from the clinical waste waft through the hospital, which is unbearable for the patients,” Nasir alleged.
Director of the Department of Health, Khulna Division Dr Md Masum Ali said that the authorities in collaboration with a local NGO, Prodipon, have already collected medical wastes from 107 government and private clinics in the city and dispose of it safely to keep the city’s hospitals safe.
These extremely contagious items need to be destroyed in compositor machine and burnt in insinuator, he added.
Civil Surgeon of Khulna district Dr Md Yasin Ali Sardar said, “We had issued notices to all clinics to set up plants to dispose of biomedical wastes. While some clinic owners responded positively, many are yet to set up any garbage plants.”
Dr Yasin said the authorities will now conduct mobile court drive against clinics that have failed to set up incinerators till date.
“While the authorities had penalised owners of several clinics, through mobile court earlier, such drives will be conducted again soon,” he said.
Conservancy Officer of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Md Anisuzzaman said, “The KCC is working to make a pollution-free city and cleaning all garbage. We issued notice to the authorities of clinics to keep their waste at a particular location and municipal cleaners will collect them regularly. But many clinic owners have refused to take note and are still disposing waste anywhere they like.”
The conservancy officer Anis also asked the owners to set up incinerators in the interest of public health.

Medical wastes pose threat to public health in Khulna

Despite it being mandatory, the clinics and hospitals do not have their own incinerators to destroy wastes

Compounds of most of the hospitals and clinics in Khulna city and district and their nearby places remain littered with medical wastes, posing threat to the environment and public health. While rules make it mandatory for clinics and hospitals to have their own incinerators to dispose of medical wastes effectively, most hospitals and clinics in the city do not have them. Bandages, syringes and needles, amputated parts of human body, stool, urine, blood, coughs and other things examined in laboratories, plastic and glass bottles of medicines, ingredients used in medical services and several other disposable and non-disposable items are dumped on the city roadsides, which often spill out of the bins. Street urchins collect the used syringes and other used clinical materials from the nearby areas of the hospitals and sell these to several syndicates at low prices. The syndicates again supply the used clinical materials to medicine shops and the patients. The used syringes and other used clinical materials spread diseases. According to the Khulna divisional office of the health department, there are 164 clinics and diagnostic centers in Khulna. Moreover, the state-run Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), Khulna General (sadar) Hospital, Khulna Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital, Khulna Chest Diseases Hospital, Khulna Infectious Diseases (ID) Hospitals, Maa O Shishu Hospital, Khulna Diabetic Hospital and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) also maintain several hospitals. Health experts express their grave concern over the disposal of medical waste here and there, especially in and around the hospitals, as the unsafe dumping poses a serious health risk. They said patients and their attendants may contract diseases if they come into contact with the infectious medical debris. While visiting Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), Khulna General (sadar) Hospital, Khulna Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital, this correspondent found blood-soaked medical wastes littering drains and toilets of the hospitals. Patients and their attendants have to put up with the obnoxious odour coming from the medical wastes. Md Nasir Uddin, 65, from Satkhira district, who has been receiving treatment at KMCH for ten days, said that he found toilets and open space of the hospital littered with blood-soaked cotton and used syringes. Bad odour from the clinical waste waft through the hospital, which is unbearable for the patients, Nasir alleged. Director of the Department of Health, Khulna Division Dr Md Masum Ali said that the authorities in collaboration with a local NGO, Prodipon, have already collected medical wastes from 107 government and private clinics in the city and dispose of it safely to keep the citys hospitals safe. These extremely contagious items need to be destroyed in compositor machine and burnt in insinuator, he added. Civil Surgeon of Khulna district Dr Md Yasin Ali Sardar said, We had issued notices to all clinics to set up plants to dispose of biomedical wastes. While some clinic owners responded positively, many are yet to set up any garbage plants. Dr Yasin said the authorities will now conduct mobile court drive against clinics that have failed to set up incinerators till date. While the authorities had penalised owners of several clinics, through mobile court earlier, such drives will be conducted again soon, he said. Conservancy Officer of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Md Anisuzzaman said, The KCC is working to make a pollution-free city and cleaning all garbage. We issued notice to the authorities of clinics to keep their waste at a particular location and municipal cleaners will collect them regularly. But many clinic owners have refused to take note and are still disposing waste anywhere they like. The conservancy officer Anis also asked the owners to set up incinerators in the interest of public health.