Medical waste in Mymensingh: Dumped in the open for 30 years

Toxic and hazardous medical wastes from approximately 300 hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in Mymensingh city have been openly dumped at Moilakanda ground in Char Kalibari area for the past 30 years, raising alarm among residents and officials.
Despite the growing concern, there is still no permanent facility for the disposal of the city’s medical waste.
Dr Md Zakiul Islam, deputy director of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), said the hospital lacks a waste treatment plant, forcing them to store both kitchen and medical waste in a shed before it is collected by Mymensingh City Corporation (MCC) trucks each evening.
Dr Zakiul highlighted that amputated body parts and materials from C-section operations are buried after disinfection with chlorine solution.
He expressed serious concern over the waste management situation at MMCH, noting that although waste is sorted into different bins, the MCC trucks collect and dispose of all waste without proper separation.
A visit to MMCH’s garbage station revealed discarded sharp medical items mixed with kitchen waste, underscoring the severity of the issue.
Dr Ranjan Kumar Majumder, a retired medicine specialist, warned that residents near the Moilakanda area are at risk of diseases such as asthma, diarrhoea, allergies, and eye irritation.
Lawyer Shibbir Ahmed Liton, secretary of Mymensingh Poribesh Rokhha o Unnayan Andolon, called for immediate action to prevent medical waste from contaminating the Old Brahmaputra river during the monsoon, posing significant public health hazards.
Mohabbat Ali, conservation inspector of MMC, reported that around five tonnes of medical waste are produced daily in the city, presenting a significant challenge for the MCC.
He admitted that the MCC has been using traditional methods for disposal due to a lack of expertise in medical waste management.
MCC is working to establish a medical waste management plant at Moilakanda by the end of the year, said Md Arifur Rahman, MCC’s chief waste management officer.
He also mentioned that a waste-to-energy project to generate electricity from waste has been pending approval for two years.
Deepak Mazumder, MCC’s food and sanitary inspector, informed that since 2019, a private enterprise, Nobo Waste Management Service Ltd, has been collecting medical waste from private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in the city for a fee of Tk 500-2,000 per month.
The waste is disposed of through incinerators, burial pits, sharp pits, and recycling units.
Dr HA Golandaj Tara, secretary of Bangladesh Private Hospital, Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association, confirmed efforts to engage all private hospitals in partnering with Nobo Waste Management Service Ltd for proper medical waste disposal.
Regarding the medical waste produced at public hospitals, Mohabbat Ali said the private enterprise lacks the capacity to handle all of it.
Dr Md Nazrul Islam, civil surgeon of Mymensingh, noted that the renewal of licences for private hospitals and clinics is contingent on certificates from the Department of Environment, which mandates the separation of waste into designated bins.
Md Mesbabul Alam, deputy director of the DoE in Mymensingh, assured that regular monitoring of waste disposal practices is being conducted to ensure compliance with environmental guidelines.