Tiruchy eye hosp dumps waste near govt school
TIRUCHY : The unsafe disposal of surgical and medical wastes at a private hospital in Melapudur on its premises indicates the poor responsiveness and monitoring mechanism of the city corporation and other stake holders in hazardous waste management.
Though the proper way to dispose of medical waste is to incinerate and bury it, the private hospital in the city, noted for treating complications pertaining to ophthalmology, allegedly has been dumping medical waste in the open near a government-aided school.
The waste dumping area is just 300 feet away from a government-aided school where about 400 students are studying from class I to class VIII . The private hospital has reportedly dumped a lot of medical and surgical wastes; that include masks, gloves and disposable surgical equipment along with the other plastic and bio-degradable waste, for weeks together.
The hospital located in Melapudur has a small open area behind its main building where a couple of ambulances have been parked. It is alleged that the medical waste and garbage from the hospital have been dumped adjacent to the ambulance parking space.
When Express enquired about safe disposal of medical waste, R Balamurugan, a city-based general surgeon said, “Safe disposal depends on the type of waste. It is classified mainly as bio-medical waste, medical equipment and surgical waste. Bio -medical waste usually comprises animal and human flesh, skin and other parts that would be eliminated, during surgeries.