THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite repeated complaints, biomedical waste — used syringes, gloves, PPE kits, blood-stained cotton and bandages along — and non-biomedical waste are being dumped carelessly in the open space between the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, and SAT hospital.
Last year, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) served notice to MCH authorities for the unscientific dumping and landfilling of biomedical waste on its campus. However, the practice continues.
As per the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, all hospitals have to segregate their medical waste into four colour-coded categories — yellow, red, white, and blue —and send it to the nearest bio-medical treatment facility.
A person who recently visited the medical college hospital said, “The open space is also used for parking four-wheelers. However, it is difficult to park there due to the stench from the piled-up biomedical waste. Even used syringes are thrown carelessly with other wastes in the open space. This puts visitors at risk.”
Federation of Residents’ Associations of Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) president Indiralayam Hari Master said residents living near the Medical College area filed various complaints to the authorities concerned.
“However, they haven’t taken any steps to resolve the issue. Mosquitoes have started breeding in the area posing health risks, especially amid the pandemic, due to the accumulated biomedical waste. The government should soon take steps to prevent the spread of any infectious diseases,” he said.
However, when TNIE spoke to the hospital authorities, they claimed that they were handing over medical garbage to IMAGE, the biomedical waste treatment facility in Palakkad. “All bio-medical waste generated at the hospital is being handed to IMAGE daily without fail,” said an official of the hospital.