SEPA issues guidelines on waste management.

KARACHI -- The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued the guidelines for handling and disposal of the waste generated by hospital facilities dealing with COVID-19 patients, which shall be enforced throughout Sindh. Every hospital owner, occupier, the operator shall be responsible for the management of hospital wastehandling of waste from COVID-19 patients generated by it till its final disposal in accordance with the provision of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014 and its subsequent Hospital Waste Management Rules 2014, said a statement on Wednesday.

'The generator of waste that is hospital or facilities need to have administrative rules and engineering controls, environmental hygiene, correct work practices and appropriate use of PPE to prevent infections,' said the newly issued guidelines. With regard to the waste collection procedure of hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, the guidelines require the procedures of transporting waste from the room (patients room or facility) where it is generated into the interim storage room and ultimately to the designated waste area.

From this designated area of the hospital, the waste then will be treated onsite or prepped for transportation offsite for treatment. Guidelines also restrict that all waste must be packed in thick plastic bags and tied properly. Sharp and needles must be in their hard packing to avoid a breach of plastic bags. Another precaution, the tied bag should be kept in another plastic bag.

Moreover, thick plastic bags must be kept in hard closed containers. The plastic bags inside must not be visible from outside. The weight of one container shall not exceed 10 kilograms. The container shall be labeled as COVID-19 waste.

A record shall be maintained for all number of bags and containers filled with waste for transportation. The inner and outer surface of containersbinstrolleys used for COVID-19 waste storage should be disinfected with 1 per cent sodium hypochlorite solution at least three times in a day...