SAMBALPUR: Improper disposal of bio-medical waste in public spaces has raised concern among locals.
Many of the clinical establishments in the town are allegedly not following the guidelines laid down by the Health Department for safe disposal of medical waste.
On Monday, one Sarthak Panda and his friends found three bags of medical waste dumped at the right dyke in Burla town during a cleaning drive.
While one of the bags contained blood-stained cotton and bandages, the other two contained syringes, surgical blades, needles and sanitary napkins.
Although Panda requested the garbage collection van of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) to collect the three bags, driver of the van refused.
Several private clinics and pathological laboratories have been found disposing their medical waste in municipality dumping grounds and open public spaces, sources said.
Medical waste generated from VIMSAR and District Headquarters Hospital are segregated and treated at VIMSAR’s incinerator.
In 2015, the SMC brought all private healthcare institutions into an agreement with a Rourkela based bio-medical waste treatment plant according to which, the plant staff would collect medical waste from the institutions every day on payment of a nominal fee.
However, in the absence of monitoring, medical waste is being dumped in public spaces without treatment.
Deputy Commissioner in charge of SMC, Subhankar Mohanty said the civic body is no longer looking into disposal of medical waste but it can act upon complaints received regarding violation of guidelines.
Chief District Medical Officer, Pankajini Panda said she is unaware of such an incident but admitted that no follow-up or feedback is taken regarding lifting and disposal of medical waste.
“Bio-medical waste is highly infectious and it should be incinerated in 1200 to 1500 degree temperature. It would create health hazards if not disposed of in a proper manner,” said an official of the regional office of State Pollution Control Board in Sambalpur.