KARACHI, Feb 21: The Environment and Alternative Energy Department of the Sindh Government may move the authorities concerned for the termination of authorization certificates of doctors and hospitals involved in unsafe handling of medical waste.

Talking to a group of doctors and representatives of NGOs, the adviser to Chief minister, Sindh, for environment and alternate energy, Mohammad Noman Saigal, said on Monday that his department had decided to approach the licensing authorities of doctors and hospitals to cancel the permission of those who did not practice the hospital waste management or abide by the by-laws issued by the Sindh Environment and Protection Agency.

It was observed in the meeting that a majority of government and private hospitals did not have the provisions for any scientific disposal of the infectious hospital waste and were reportedly discharging the waste unchecked into the municipal facilities, which was highly dangerous for human lives.

The participants urged the adviser to ensure strict implementation of environmental laws in the case of hospitals and clinics. Moreover, hospitals where incinerators were available be pressured to start utilizing the facility at the earliest, they added.

On the occasion, Mr Saigal said that the multinational companies which had been keeping various hospitals on their panels would also be updated on the issue and requested for playing instrumental. He said the environment department would check the new and upcoming hospitals to have the incineration facility with them on priority basis.