Angul: Resentment brewed among locals here after they found used personal protective equipments (PPEs) on the premises of the Angul Railway Station. They alleged that the PPEs had been used by health workers attending to COVID-19 patients.
Railway employees and residents of colonies close to the station said they were shocked when they found the PPEs strewn round the station premises. They said healthcare workers including doctors were wearing the PPEs while attending to migrant workers who returned here by a Shramik Special train Monday.
Locals said that the PPEs were not disposed properly after their use. They alleged that the district administration failed to initiate any action even after a complaint was lodged in this regard.
The area was sanitised immediately after returnees vacated Angul station premises. As per norms, the high-risk medical wastes like PPEs including gloves and masks should have been buried at a specifically identified place, the locals said. This would have prevented the chances of the disease spreading.
Angul station manager Jitendra Kumar Sahu said they had informed the district administration on this issue. “We have informed district administration officials about the discarded PPEs on the premises. We requested them to remove the used PPEs. However till now, no action has been taken,” Sahu said.
When contacted, Angul chief district medical officer (CDMO) Pratap Kumar Behera said, “We haven’t received any such complaint. We have learnt about the incident from the media only. Action will be initiated after verification of the allegations.”
PNN
