Approximately 90 tons of medical waste is produced in hospitals across the capital every day, and disposal of this waste has become a major problem, Tehran Municipality official Hossein Kalkhourani said on Monday.
Since hospital waste contains various chemical and biological pollutants, any oversight in their disposal could spread disease and cause a health and environmental hazard, he observed.
He also criticized the relevant officials for shirking their duty in regard to hospital waste disposal.
According to the law, medical waste disposal is not within the Tehran Municipality’s mandate, and hospitals are required to pay for the collection and disposal of their waste, but most hospitals in the capital do not meet this obligation, he stated.
In fact, the Tehran Municipality is currently doing this job and paying for it, Kalkhourani said.
Actually, the Health Ministry is supposed to be in charge of hospital waste disposal, he added.
HJ/HG
END
MNA
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