Kathmandu, February 26
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has stopped collecting waste from four hospitals with effect from Sunday.
The waste collection of Shaheed Memorial Hospital and Nepal National Hospital in Kalanki and Dirghayu Guru Hospital and Om Hospital in Chabahil has been stopped, said the City’s landfill site in-charge engineer Sarkardeep Shrestha.
The decision was made following monitoring by the metropolis, revealing that the waste management system in health facilities did not comply with prevailing laws. Consequently, the hospitals have been instructed to submit to the Environmental Management Department of the City a plan for decontaminating infected waste, along with documents related to their waste management commitments during registration and operation, as well as details of collaborating organizations.
“Decontamination of infected waste is the producer’s responsibility. Furthermore, infrastructure and mechanisms should be established for the proper waste management in a hospital,” said Shrestha.
The metropolis has been regularly monitoring hospital waste and giving necessary instructions for the past two weeks to make waste management more effective. The Local Government Operation Act, 2017 has authorised the local government to determine and regulate sanitary waste collection, reuse, processing and disposal and about its service fees.
In addition, the local government has also been given the right to penalise health institutions that do not manage medical waste as provided in the prevailing law.
