Clinical waste

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HOSPITALS, clinics and diagnostic centres are fast expanding in the country. No doubt such have been grown because of demands and they are providing medical services to a greater number of people.
But at the same everyday these centres are generating a huge quantity of clinical wastes which are highly hazardous for human health. Used bandages, injection needles, human tissues removed after surgery discs used to culture bacteria, etc., are all dumped in the most careless manner into roadside dustbins or sometimes in open roads by operators of many hospitals and diagnostic centres. The wastes in most cases are laden with the germs of many serious diseases and easily spread into the air and water bodies infecting people who breathe air near the thrown-away contagious substances or touch them.
Thus, it is imperative to dispose these medical wastes and adopt specialised disposal facilities to absolutely ensure safety. The government hospitals, despite having incinerators, dump these outside in and around the hospital premises. The government should make it mandatory for all -- both private and public healthcare institutions -- to acquire incinerators to clean the wastes instead of throwing those in the open space.
So far, no official move has been seen in respect of this hazardous practice. The need of the hour is to formulate a legislation soon and enforce it rigorously. The offenders need to be warned and asked to dispose of their medical wastes in a proper way.
Samiul Haque
Niketon, Gulshan
Dhaka