Khurda: Some private nursing homes, pathology centres and drugstores in the town here are dumping biomedical waste in drains and alongside roads in violation of the guidelines, locals alleged.
According to the locals, dumping of used injection syringe, saline bottles and other medical waste alongside roads in violation of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules may lead to the outbreak of infectious diseases in the locality.
The town has witnessed mushrooming of private nursing homes, patho labs and drugstores in recent years. However, many of these private entities are dumping biomedical waste along the roads near the office of district Superintendent of Police, locals said.
Some rag pickers often collect used saline bottles and syringes from the roadside garbage dumps, they added.
Besides, some drugstores dumping used injection syringes into the roadside drains overlooking the safety of locals.
“Most of the private nursing homes and pathological centres in Khurda are not adhering to the Biomedical Waste Management Rules. They usually dump medical waste alongside Bajapur and Mandarbast roads. Government officials have turned a blind eye to the issue,” said Bibhu Prasad Das, a local resident.
When contacted, an official at the office of the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) said they would soon warn the private nursing homes and diagnostic centres to follow the Biomedical Waste Management Rules.
“We will inform the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) if the private entities continue with the habit of throwing medical waste on open places. A probe will be launched into the illegal dumping of medical waste near the SP office,” he added.
