Pilibhit: Acting on widely circulated images showing hazardous bio-medical waste dumped in the open at a prime location in Pilibhit city, chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Alok Kumar on Monday ordered a probe and issued notices to four private medical facilities, including a nearby pathology lab.
The photos, which went viral on social media on Saturday, showed prohibited bio-medical waste lying outside Pilibhit District Cooperative Bank.
A two-member panel led by deputy CMO Dr Gyan Prakash has been constituted to investigate the matter. In the notices, the CMO said that open dumping of bio-medical waste is a clear violation of Section 49 of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. The facilities have been asked to submit explanations with documentary proof within two days.
“The facilities must submit agreements with authorised bio-medical waste treatment agencies and provide logbooks of waste collection for the past 30 days,” Kumar said.
The district has 30 primary health centres, 11 community health centres, the male and female wings of the Autonomous State Medical College hospital, and 106 private hospitals. “We will begin regular inspections to ensure waste is stored in designated bins and handed over to authorised collectors on time,” the CMO said.
“Strict legal action will be taken against anyone found dumping bio-medical waste in the open,” he said.
