COVID-19: Where does protective gear used by Kashmir docs, para medics go? | KNO

Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

Srinagar, Mar 25 (KNO): Despite the increasing scare of deadly novel coronavirus across the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the authorities have not adopted any new mechanism for the disposing off protective gear including masks and gloves used to treat the suspects and positive cases across the valley. Talking exclusively to wire service- Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Nodal officer for COVID-19 in Kashmir, Dr SM Qadri said that the incineration mechanism followed by the hospitals over the years is the best way to dispose off the bio-medical wastes. “All the hospitals especially Sher Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) and government medical colleges (GMC) associated hospitals having positive cases of Coronavirus, follow the same mechanisms to dispose off bio medical wastes since all the health sectors have a separate wing for the same,” Dr Qadri said. “We follow the same protocol adopted for so many years now, all the bio medical wastes generated is incinerated, now if in case incineration in not available at any health centre, we go for dumping at a proper place with a mix of sodium hydrochloride.” He said that whenever the bio medical wastes are generated they are disposed off in proper manner with a mixture of sodium hydrochloride (1 percent), it is not for the first that the valley hospitals have started to generate bio medical wastes, it's now century's old practice, professionals (who deal with bio medical wastes) know with what thing (mask, gloves) what has to be done. “If, in case the bio medical wastes generated from the medical practitioners treating the positive case is thrown in open or is exposed to general masses it can engulf the population and cause severe harm to the community,” Dr Qadri said. He said that that there are different wings for the bio medical wastes including, Blue, Yellow and Black, it denotes the action actually what has to done with particular waste, there is no better option available with us than incineration. He said we have no positive case kept in quarantine centre if someone shows symptoms or is positive are kept in isolation wards, either the patient will be at SKIMS or Government medical college and they know the proper method of bio medical wastes. He furthermore said that the incineration mechanism followed by the health sector across the valley over the years is the only best option to dispose off the bio medical wastes generated at this point of time used by the medical practitioners—(KNO)