Autonomous Administration of East Euphrates Disposes of Its Medical Waste

Arab World

September 6th, 10:19am

Qamishli- Kamal Sheikho

A member of the Kurdish-led security organization stands near a man in a wheelchair, as restrictions are imposed as measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in Qamishli, Syria (Reuters)

The Autonomous Administration in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, is preparing to dispose of its medical waste in a special landfill, as team members in red uniforms and a medical emblem transported the waste in specialized vehicles. The team tours four hospitals and a number of quarantine centers in Qamishli, in addition to the hospitals in the neighboring town of Amuda. The medical waste is sorted into special containers according to type, and then transferred to a landfill located west of Qamishli, where it will be burned. The number of coronavirus cases is on the rise after the Autonomous Administration recorded 15 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 624, with 40 deaths and 158 cured cases. The local and environmental administration in the al-Jazeera region, in cooperation with the Kurdish Red Crescent and health authorities, implemented the project for the proper disposal of medical waste. The team members wear protective masks, gloves, and a special suit for this task. They enter the hospital building and instruct the cleaners and nurses to sort and classify the waste for easy transportation, and to follow health measures to protect themselves and the patients, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. Head of the local administration and environment authority Midia Bouzan explained that this is the first-of-its-kind project in the region to properly dispose of medical waste. Bouzan noted that teams collect hospital waste and get rid of them in the designated place, away from civilian landfills, since medical waste has negative effects on residents and cleaning workers. The municipality selected an area west of Qamishli near a waste dump, but it also located a second point dedicated to medical waste. Bouzan explained that the place was chosen for its safe distance away from the city and given that it already contains a dump for regular waste. She warned of the danger of medical waste, saying it is likely to be infectious or degradable and may contain biological particles or organisms that should not be released into the environment. The administrative official in the cleaning department of the Qamishli municipality, Djiwar Bizy, says that they seek proper disposal of medical waste to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The municipality trained the team and hospital workers on sorting various medical wastes based on their type and the degree of danger they pose, said Bizy, adding that it is done on a daily and regular basis. Bizzy added that sharp objects such as blades, as well as fragile materials, are destroyed and collected in special containers, while combustible materials are burned in a special incinerator. He also asserted that coronavirus tests, liquids, blood tests, and hepatitis C tests are put in a special container to prevent their leakage into the sewage system, which may entail negative effects on people’s health.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2491481/autonomous-administration-east-euphrates-disposes-its-medical-waste