PESHAWAR, Sept 7: Lack of hospital waste management system is causing health problems among hospital workers as well as general public, sources say.

A survey recently conducted by a private firm in collaboration with the provincial health department showed that four hospitals in the city generated 1,858kg of infectious waste, but there was no proper system for its disposal.

“On an average, one bed generates 0.5kg waste. For a total 3,654 beds at the city hospitals there are three incinerators, but these operate partially,” said a source privy to the waste management system in the city.

He said the 1,427-bed Lady Reading Hospital generated 1,036kg waste per day, the 1,400-bed Khyber Teaching Hospital 436kg, the 627-bed Hayatabad Medical Complex 260kg and the 200-bed City Hospital produced 131kg infectious waste.

The survey showed that seven Peshawar-based semi-government hospitals with 580 beds generated 290kg waste. It said the 280-bed District Headquarters Hospital and the 166-bed Women and Children Hospital, Kohat, generated 140kg and 83kg infectious waste, respectively. Four hospitals in Nowshera with 264 beds created 145kg of waste. In Mardan, three hospitals generate 143kg waste.

The sources said that healthcare institutions had yet to develop a proper framework for safe disposal of hospital waste in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

Rules of the Hospital Waste Management of 2000, drawn under the Environmental Protection Act, call for the formation of hospital waste management to ensure that waste is properly disposed of within 24 hours.

The act provides for the formation of an advisory committee under the health secretary to periodically review the implementation of rules and recommend amendments and adoption of such policy measures, plans and projects as it may consider necessary for the effective management of hospital waste in the province.

The rules say that each hospital shall apply to the federal or provincial environmental agency for grant of licences in accordance with the provision of Hazardous Substance Rules, 2000. Such bodies are yet to be formed. In their absence a polluted environment in the hospitals exists.

Since the installation of the incinerators, there has never been an impact assessment or a monitoring system in place. Initially, the idea was that an impact assessment of the incinerators would be conducted periodically and if found feasible, incinerators would be installed in other hospitals of the province.

All three dual-chamber incinerators had the proper combustion capacity of the hospital waste at 3,000 Celsius. The hospital waste, including kitchen and infectious waste, bio-waste, pharmaceutical, chemical and radioactive waste and sharps, needs proper collection, transportation and disposal.

“Unfortunately, the waste is not properly disposed of owing to inability of hospitals’ management which never accorded priority to it,” said a doctor.

The incinerators during combustion omit toxic fumes, putting at risk the people of getting TB, chest, gastro-intestinal and skin infections.

Health professionals as well as relatives of patients also face the risk of getting infected with hepatitis B & C and HIV/Aids because they frequently come in contact with sharps, such as blades and needles.

“Some elements do not want the use of incinerators because they have been earning good amount from selling the used syringes to be recycled,” said another doctor. The problem becomes more alarming when dustbins at hospitals are not emptied for several days.

Three incinerators at the KTH, LRH and HMC, installed at a cost of Rs3.2 million each five years ago, required a lot of energy to incinerate. These incinerators, the survey said, created massive emissions. “There is no emission control system with these incinerators.”

The emissions, it said, contained dioxin, sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and furan which were extremely hazardous.