Government Rajindra Hospital is once again under the scanner for not making enough arrangements for the proper disposal of the bio-medical waste. The issue came to light during the cleanliness drive of the Paryavaran Welfare Society, which has voluntarily taken up the cause of cleaning up the hospital. It found an unused blood bag and many used injections, syringes, medical gloves and other waste dumped behind the Gynaecology Department. Members of the society found that instead of scientifically disposing of the bio-medical waste, it was thrown in the bushes and it could put the lives of patients and their members of family at risk. Society president Rajnish Kumar told The Tribune: “In spite of getting grants worth crores of rupees, the hospital authorities do not pay heed to the sanitation and cleanliness.” He said garbage dumps could be seen in various parts of the hospital. “Senior doctors and other staff are parking their vehicles in front of these dumps. No one bothers to get the mess cleared,” Kumar said, adding that he the urinals were in a bad shape with many of them overflowing, forcing many patients to use open spaces. Kumar claimed that on one hand, the government was spending crores of rupees to organise blood donation camps and, on the other, unused blood bags are being dumped. “Blood is precious. If it was infected or not used for some reason, it could have been returned to the blood bank or dumped properly to ensure safety of patients since women who have recently given birth and newborns were highly prone to infection,” he added. Dr Jatinder Kansal, a medical officer who is the in-charge of bio-medical waste, said the hospital was generating about 1-quintal waste every day and it was being disposed of in accordance with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) guidelines. “The hospital has initiated an inquiry into the matter. Whoever found negligent will be held accountable,” Dr Kansal added. Rakesh Nayyar, PPCB Environmental Engineer, who is the area in-charge of the hospital, said this was not for the first time that the hospital had disposed of bio-medical waste in an improper manner. “We had found bio-medical waste dumped at the place where they dispose of solid waste. The hospital has been issued strict warnings. We will look into the mater and take action,” he added. In poor health * An unused blood bag, used injections, syringes, medical gloves and other waste found dumped behind the hospital's Gynaecology Department * Garbage dumps could be seen in various parts of the hospital * Paryavaran Welfare Society president Rajnish Kumar claim that in spite of getting grants worth crores of rupees, the hospital authorities do not pay heed to the sanitation and cleanliness