Medical waste piles up at govt. hospitals

By Rathindra Kuruwita 

Medical waste is piling up in government hospitals as the Ministry of Health has delayed payments to a private company, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS), Ravi Kumudesh, says.

 According to Kumudesh, infectious diseases will spread in hospitals unless steps are taken to remove the medical waste.

 “A private company was assigned to remove the medical waste. In 2017, it was decided to pay Rs 100 a kilo. Recently, the company has asked the Ministry to increase this fee. It has pointed out that in 2017, a litre of diesel was Rs. 85 and the fuel prices have increased,” Kumudesh said, adding that the company had not been paid for its services for some time, and it had stopped collecting the waste.

The CMLS President said that the removal of hospital waste had been privatised and that there was nothing hospitals could do.

“I won’t be surprised if awful diseases break out in many government hospitals endangering the lives of patients, staff, and visitors,” he said.

A Health Ministry official, contacted for comment, said steps were being taken to solve the problem and keep the hospitals clean.