HYDERABAD, Nov 28: A meeting of officials of Umeed Foundation, waste management team and the administration of Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad and Jamshoro, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was held in Jamshoro to discuss ways and means to dispose of hospital waste.

Dr Gulzar Usman, the administrator of Umeed Foundation, introduced different projects of foundations which included Umeed Kifalat, Umeed Patient’s Support, Umeed Charity Clinic and Hospital Waste Management (HWM) Project.

He presented the details of the HWM project and successes achieved yet. According to him, this project is funded by UNDP GEF/SGP, Pakistan, and aims to bring radical changes in Hospital Waste Management System at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro and reduce the environmental pollution as well, spread of infectious diseases in community through adopting the modern acceptable measures of hospital waste disposal.

Dr Gulzar requested the LUH administration to start the incinerator as soon as possible. He promised to provide one time provision of waste bins, syringe cutters and collection drums to the LUH from Umeed Foundation initially in two selected wards and then to all the wards. The proposed project plan and activities yet to be done by Umeed Foundation under this HWM project were also discussed by him.

The regional in-charge, EPA, Hyderabad, Irfan Ahmed Abbasi explained the role of hospitals in context of Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 and offered cooperation from EPA in this joint venture.

He described the principles and responsibilities of waste management team and formation of waste management plan. He also stressed the need to start incinerator soon and advised the hospital administration to communicate the problems and challenges in making it operational to the higher authorities and also put the SNE in coming budget regarding annual expenses on its operations and maintenance.

Mr Abbasi assured the meeting the ministry of environment and EPA will also influence municipal authorities to make the disposal sites proper and environment-friendly.

Professor Dr Mumtaz Ali Memon invited the WMT and EPA to conduct awareness seminar for undergraduates and postgraduates of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro. The university will cooperate in arranging these events, he said.

After general discussions, the waste management team decided to select the gynaecology unit-II, LUH Hyderabad and ward 4 (surgical-IV) LUH Jamshoro as the “model wards” to start the waste segregation and collection as per suggestion n Waste Management System.

It also decided to arrange the waste bins and collection drums for selected wards by Umeed Foundation after estimation of the need. The team further decided to conduct an awareness seminar at Jamshoro in collaboration with the LUMHS in December 2008 and starting of operation of incinerator in December 2008.

Representing the LUH administration Dr Inayatullah Memon declared to make the incinerator functional very soon after natural gas supply to the unit was restored. He offered full cooperation to Umeed Foundation and WMT in executing this hospital waste management project at LUH Hyderabad and Jamshoro.