Factory full of expired tablets and used syringes
By Yogesh Avasthi & Zahid Qurehsi
Posted On Friday, February 27, 2009 at 03:14:34 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009022720090227031434638d42c2be7)
Fifty tonnes of banned bio-medical waste, including used syringes, needles and glucose bags, were seized on Thursday following raids on the premises of five scrap dealers in the city. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials sealed the five shops — Bindu Enterprise, behind Memco bus stop; Bhagwati Plastics in Kailash Estate; Dhanlaxmi Scrap, Asarva; Ambika Scrap Trading, Asarva and the one inside a factory in Banner Estate in Rajpur — and detained two scrap dealers.
One of them was identified as Babubhai.Besides AMC officials and police, the raiding team comprised authorities of the Health and the Food and Drugs Departments. Dr Rakesh Vaidya, the chief district health officer of Ahmedabad, said: “These plastic scrap dealers used to supply bio-medical waste to Modasa.”
All the five scrap shops were shut when the raids were conducted. The officials of the raiding team broke open their doors and recovered loads of used glucose bags, syringes, needles, ampules and surgery gloves. Shut scrap shops and absence of people near them dropped hint that the lawbreakers had sniffed raids beforehand.
According to the Bio-Medical Waste (management and handling) Rules, 1998, medical waste, including used syringes, have to be discarded. But some clinics, said sources, were not adhering to the rule. A few firms awarded contract of disposing bio-medical waste of health hubs were allegedly selling them as scrap, they added.
Much before the Hepatitis B outbreak in the state, AM had exposed a medicine recycling racket. Following our report, used medicines worth Rs 25 lakh were seized and a person was arrested. But the health and food department, sources said, shelved its probe before the kingpins of the racket were identified.
Posted On Friday, February 27, 2009 at 03:14:34 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009022720090227031434638d42c2be7)
Fifty tonnes of banned bio-medical waste, including used syringes, needles and glucose bags, were seized on Thursday following raids on the premises of five scrap dealers in the city. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials sealed the five shops — Bindu Enterprise, behind Memco bus stop; Bhagwati Plastics in Kailash Estate; Dhanlaxmi Scrap, Asarva; Ambika Scrap Trading, Asarva and the one inside a factory in Banner Estate in Rajpur — and detained two scrap dealers.
One of them was identified as Babubhai.Besides AMC officials and police, the raiding team comprised authorities of the Health and the Food and Drugs Departments. Dr Rakesh Vaidya, the chief district health officer of Ahmedabad, said: “These plastic scrap dealers used to supply bio-medical waste to Modasa.”
All the five scrap shops were shut when the raids were conducted. The officials of the raiding team broke open their doors and recovered loads of used glucose bags, syringes, needles, ampules and surgery gloves. Shut scrap shops and absence of people near them dropped hint that the lawbreakers had sniffed raids beforehand.
According to the Bio-Medical Waste (management and handling) Rules, 1998, medical waste, including used syringes, have to be discarded. But some clinics, said sources, were not adhering to the rule. A few firms awarded contract of disposing bio-medical waste of health hubs were allegedly selling them as scrap, they added.
Much before the Hepatitis B outbreak in the state, AM had exposed a medicine recycling racket. Following our report, used medicines worth Rs 25 lakh were seized and a person was arrested. But the health and food department, sources said, shelved its probe before the kingpins of the racket were identified.
