More or less 500 to 600 public and private sector hospitals, maternity homes, and dispensaries are presently functioning in Karachi, however, majority of them lack proper system for disposing of hazardous waste like swab, used bandage, used syringes, plasters, ampoules, drips, placenta and other human organs.
Incineration is a process in which, the hazardous waste is burn at very high temperature without creating environmental pollution. Except two or three private sector hospitals, most of them are without incinerating plants. In the absence of this facility, all these health providing facility centres, hospitals, maternity homes and dispensaries dump their wastes at different garbage collection points (Kachra Kundis) in different localities.
According to estimation, approximately 45 percent hospitals' hazardous waste is disposed properly, while 65 percent throw it at municipal waste collection points. Moreover, sweepers of hospitals and health units have links with Junk Dealers for some financial gains, and they sell hospital waste to them directly.
Later these dealers sort out waste and cull different useable items for recycling like syringes etc. which are again sold out in the market.
This cycle completes at medical stores, where end users become prey of these elements when they buy the harmful products again. It has been found that the recycle products have become a big source for spreading of infectious disease like Hepatitis B, C and HIV/ AIDS in the country.
Furthermore, many poisonous chemicals are also mixed with hospital waste dumped in open air at garbage collection points. In presence of sunlight the chemicals start different reactions and emit poisonous fume and smoke, which not only enhances environmental pollution but also turn whole heap of garbage into a lethal dump.
Due to lethargic attitude of civic authorities towards removal of waste from garbage collection points, especially during rains, the waste starts flowing into drains and sewerage lines causing the collapse of drainage system besides making the sewage poisonous to a catastrophic level. All the effluent is discharged in the sea creating marine pollution.
Realising gravity of the situation, the then Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had installed an incinerator plant in order to dispose of hazardous waste of metropolis some seven years back. After devolution of KMC about two years ago under new local government system, this incinerator plant was working under the CDGK, however, it has handed over the plant to private party.
The incineration at City Government's plant is done at 600 to 1800 degree centigrade temperature.
Besides CDGK, two private sector MNCs including GlaxoSmithKline and Global Environmental Lab (GEL) have also established incinerator plants comparatively of low capacity incineration.These two plants are also providing hazardous waste disposing facilities to hospitals as well as industries.
- (Business Recorder)