Govt action necessary to curb this epidemic.

The High Court today wanted to know what measures have been taken for the management of medical waste across the country.

The High Court yesterday ordered the government to form a three-member committee at all the eight divisions to monitor and supervise medical waste management at hospitals and diagnostic centres.

The High Court (HC) issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why it should not be directed to establish effluent treatment plant (ETP) individually or centrally in every hospital, diagnostic and other medical service stations for disposal and recycling medical waste.

Anyone walking down the street in front of the main entrance to the DMCH emergency unit would encounter an awful sight: used syringes, bandages, dressings, saline bags and many other medical waste littering the pavement.