20000117

CHK, ASH issued

notices for failing to

implement safe environs

KARACHI: Civil Hospital Karachi, and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital have been issued notices under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 for failing to implement environment safety measures.

This was stated by the Sindh Secretary Environment and Forests, Shamsul Haq Memon while presiding over a meeting of the SEPA here on Sunday.

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency's (SEPA) notice said, "it has come to the notice of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency that the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, is causing environmental pollution as specified below and is, thus, violating the provisions of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

a) Solid/semi Solid waste including syringes, plastic bags, plastic tubing, rubber catheters, sharps and containers etc., are not properly disposed off and the result is, these are reportedly recycled into the market and are a threat to human life.

b) The biological waste like human organs, skin, tissues, hair, limbs, pus, mucus etc., the liquid wastes like chemicals, lab washings, blood, secretions, radiology effluents etc., the hazardous materials like chemotherapy and the antineoplastic chemicals, photographic chemicals, anaesthetic gases, other toxic and corrosive chemicals and left-overs etc., are not properly collected and are not disposed off in a safer manner".

The Civil Hospital Karachi has also been issued a notice by the SEPA for the same.

The provincial Secretary Environment warned all the government and private organisations to apply the safety measures to nab the increasing environment pollution.

Otherwise, he continued, these would be tried at the Environmental Magistrates and Environmental Tribunals under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997.

The Environment Secretary said the environmental pollution had become a big challenge of the new century, posing serious threat to the mankind and the environment.

He stressed the need to check all the elements adding to the spread of the environmental pollution.

The Director General, Brig Akhtar Zamin (Retd) informed the Secretary that the Environmental Protection Act had come into action from the January 1, 2000.

As the first step, Civil Hospital Karachi, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Alladin Water Park, Messrs S.G.S Private Limited and PECHS Karachi have been issued notices so far to explain their position for not abiding by the environmental standards.ÑAPP