KARACHI: Adviser to the Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab has directed public and private sector hospitals to immediately submit their hospital waste management plans to the Sindh Environ­mental Protection Agency (Sepa) in accordance with the Hospital Waste Manage­ment Rules 2014.

He was chairing a meeting on Tuesday in the office of Kar­achi commissioner, whi­ch was attended by environment and climate change secretary Khan Moh­a­m­mad Mahar, Sepa director general Naeem Ahmed Mughal, Sepa additional director gen­eral Waqar Hussain Phul­poto and representatives of major private and government hospitals of Karachi.

In his opening remarks, the adviser regretted that hospitals were not complying with hospital waste management rules.

He took serious notice of the absence of representatives of some major private and government hospitals in the meeting and expressed his displeasure that those who attended the meeting had done no prior homework.

It was decided that the Karachi Metropolitan Cor­po­ration (KMC) would share the previous three years’ record of the hospital waste which was incinerated at its facilities and also a copy of the outsourcing agreement the KMC had with the third party in this regard.

The KMC would also provide a list of the hospitals which were using its facilities for incineration.

The cantonment boards were also directed to chalk out a policy framework for hospital waste management and depute officers to inspect and monitor disposal of medical waste by health facilities which existed in their jurisdiction.

The adviser directed the Sepa additional director general to issue notices to private and public sector hospitals and hold hearings to get first-hand information on disposal of medical waste from the hospital authorities.

It was also decided that the deputy commissioners concerned would furnish reports regarding segregation and disposal of medical waste by hospitals located in their respective jurisdiction.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2019