Hospitals and diagnostic centres are fast increasing in the country and these are providing medical services to a greater number of people. Wastes of hospitals and diagnostic centres are highly hazardous for health. Used bandages, injection needles, human tissues removed after surgery discs used to culture bacteria, etc, are all dumped in the most careless manner into roadside dustbins or sometimes in open roads by operators of many hospitals and diagnostic centres. The wastes in most cases are laden with the germs of many serious diseases and easily spread into the air and water bodies infecting people who breathe air near the thrown away contagious substances or touch them.

Thus, it is imperative to dispose these medical wastes and adopt specialized disposal facilities to absolutely ensure safety. So far, no official move has been seen in respect of this hazardous practice. A report in this paper on Sunday stated that the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA) organized a citizens' rally and human chain demanding safe, modern and hygienic hospital waste management. The concern expressed by this environmental group is a timely one and the government's health authorities ought to take due note of it and respond effectively to the same.

The need of the hour is to formulate a legislation soon and enforce it rigorously. Meanwhile, till such a law is enacted, the offenders need to be warned and asked to dispose of their medical rubbish in a proper way. The relevant legislation to be introduced should also make it mandatory for hospitals and diagnostic centres to acquire incinerators or the like for the disposal of their medical wastes. The incinerators will have to be of a type that burn the wastes or dispose them efficiently-if need be after treating them -- in order not to cause air pollution or any other form of pollution.

Source: http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/30/30012006ed.htm