Used syringes and expired medicines discovered at YCMH

In an alarming incident, several used syringes and medicines long past their expiry date were found at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital’s (YCMH) Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre. All these were supposed to have been disposed of eight years ago. These syringes are supposed to be disposed of routinely as per the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rule as they pose a major risk of people accidently coming in contact with incurable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While hospital authorities claim that they have no idea who is responsible for this glaring oversight, an investigation has been initiated and the material has now been disposed of.

The matter came to light happened on Friday evening when as many as 17 cans full of syringes used in 2010 for patients suffering from HIV were found, along with seven boxes full of expired medicines. PCMC chief Shravan Hardikar had ordered a probe into the matter after a social activist filed a complaint. PCMC conducted a meeting on Monday with all the administrative officials of the hospital to discuss the situation as well.

Dr Pavan Salve, assistant health chief of PCMC, said, “The syringes and medicines were kept in the loft of the ART centre — we have no idea who left them there. The ward is undergoing renovation at present. “We conducted a meeting on Monday regarding the same and orders have been issued to check if any other hospital department has similar undisposed material in their wards.”

Salve added, “We disposed of the syringes and the medicines on Sunday. We have an agency assigned for the collection of biomedical waste. The current officer in charge of the centre has joined only recently so he cannot be held responsible.”

Social activist Nitin Yadav, who filed the complaint, said, “People come to the ART centre to control the spread of HIV. Instead of ensuring patients are tended to properly, such instances of carelessness are coming out. There are strict rules in place regarding the disposal of these items, but they were still dumped in the loft. Many patients come with their families and children — all of them could be at risk. When I learnt of the incident, I went to the YCM superintendent, but he merely said it is not his responsibility.”

Yadav continued, “I then went to the PCMC chief and submitted a written complaint about the incident. None of the authorities are ready to take responsibility. It was only after one of the patients complained to me that I went to the ART centre and saw the actual situation. It was shocking.”

Corroborating Yadav’s narrative, Dr Manoj Deshmukh, medical superintendent of YCM Hospital, said, “I am unaware about the incident and cannot comment. Higher authorities will have a better take on the situation.”