August 01, 2008	Friday	Rajab 28, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 31: Sindh has the highest number of hepatitis cases mainly because of the reuse of syringes and needles, said Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar in a seminar organised to create awareness on hospital waste management.

The seminar was organised by the Umeed Foundation in collaboration with the Liaquat University Hospital here on Thursday and attended by 200 participants, including hospital administrators, professors, medical and paramedical staff, post-graduates and undergraduate students and sanitary workers.

Speakers included the National Coordinator of UNDP-Global Environment Facility/ Small Grants Programme’s Masood Lohar, and In-charge Environmental Protection Agency Hyderabad, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar.

Dr Gorar said that to overcome the menace of reusing of syringes and needles, incinerators were being provided to Sindh districts and they would appreciate if Umeed Foundation was allowed to work on this project.

Speakers highlighted social, health and environmental risks arising out from uncontrolled hospital waste management practices. They said that illegal scavenging and recycling of needles and syringes were major causes of alarmingly high incidence of hepatitis and other infectious diseases.

Mr Lohar gave an overview of the UNDP GEF/SGP and agreed to enhance mutual working with the Foundation and LUH. He told how hospital liquid and solid waste was drained in Phulelli and other canals.