ISLAMABAD, March 6: Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pepa) has decided to impose penalties on various Islamabad-based hospitals, which don't have adequate waste management facilities, an official source told Dawn.

"The Agency has reminded seven hospitals in public and private sectors to furnish reports on waste management mechanism within a couple of weeks", he said.

The hospitals include the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic), KRL General Hospital, Capital Hospital, Ali Medical Centre, Shifa International Hospital and National Institute of Health.

The Pepa director-general, Asif Shuja Khan, on Saturday again wrote a letter to the hospitals to submit reports with the Agency regarding their way to dispose of waste, the source added.

Earlier, a letter was sent to these hospitals on December 20, 2003 in this connection. According to it, hospitals were asked to furnish a report on their waste management infrastructure within 10 days. But, despite repeated reminders, none of these hospitals responded, the source said.

The official, through the letter, asked the respective hospital administrations to provide information on adequacy of their present systems, specifications of incinerators if installed, and details of their future plans for upgradation, if any.

"As you are aware that improper disposal of infectious waste generated in the hospitals is very dangerous to all those who, either handle the waste or are exposed to it as a consequence of careless management", the letter writes.

Therefore, the Pepa needs information as to how you handle your hospitals' wastes, the letter concludes.