DNA looks for the source of waste and ends up at Asia’s largest civil hospital

Even as experts try to trace the spread of hepatitis-B in Modasa, Ahmedabad may be sitting on a pile of discarded biomedical waste, waiting for disaster to happen.

An investigation by DNA has found that hazardous biomedical waste from Asia’s largest civil hospital, the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, is collected by rag-pickers and others to be sold to scrap dealers. The hospital, it seems, has not put in place a waste disposal system to handle the 1,000 kg or more of biomedical waste it generates everyday.

The complete lack of security in the biomedical waste storage area (MWSA) on the hospital’s campus has only helped people who want to make a quick buck by reselling the waste. Used syringes, needles, blood samples, test tubes and other biomedical waste are all brought to the storage area.

DNA found that the norms for disposal of biomedical waste were being blatantly flouted at the hospital. Used syringes, needles catheters, tubes and IV sets were collected in black bags in the storage area.

The norms clearly state that such bio-waste is to be collected in blue bags, and tightly sealed until they are autoclaved or shredded to prevent reuse. The black bags are in fact to be used for harmless waste.

DNA reporter, who entered the restricted area, (there was no security guard to prevent people from gaining access to the biomedical waste storage area of the civil hospital) found a group of people scavenging there, looking for needles, syringes and other things that could be sold to scrap dealers. Many of the bags in which waste had been collected for disposal were lying open.

When this reporter questioned one of the girls foraging the waste for stuff she could sell, she said she would sell the waste to scrap dealers. “We sell the waste to scrap dealers who process it and then resell it,” the girl said on condition of anonymity. A source familiar with the hospital’s disposal of biomedical waste said that a number of people, including civil hospital employees, are involved in the whole business of reselling the waste. Additional medical superintendent, Civil Hospital, Dr Dinesh Rathod, said the syringes and needles are disposed of in the blue bag. “The black bags are for harmless waste,” he said. But when this reporter entered the waste storage area, this is not how waste was stored there.

Moreover, two people, who carried blue bags full of biomedical waste from the cancer ward, entered the storage area without gloves covering their hands. When this was brought to Rathod’s notice he shrugged and said that the people who handle the waste don’t bother to wear gloves despite official orders. “Even after repeated reminders, the people ignore the rules and do not wear hand gloves while handling such waste,” Rathod said.

Deadly supplies

Syringes: Rs8/kg

Plastic bottles: Rs20/kg

Syringes, plastic bottles and other items are often ground and the mixture is sold at Rs20/kg

“Thanks to the information provided by DNA about the four godowns, we have been able to unearth the network that sells these hazardous products.”

 —Dr Manish Fenci, deputy health officer, north zone AMC

Roxy Gagdekar/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication