Unused Syringes and Saline With Years of Shelf Life Found in Waste From Mymensingh Medical College Hospital

Unused syringes, cannulas, saline and other medical supplies belonging to Mymensingh Medical College (MMC) Hospital have been found at a waste storage site in the Shambhuganj area of the city. Although the supplies carry expiry dates running to 2028 and 2031, serious questions have been raised about how they are leaving the hospital mixed in with its waste.

MMC Hospital is one of the mainstays of medical care for people across the greater Mymensingh region, and thousands of patients come here for treatment every day. Patients and their relatives complain that they face various hassles in getting necessary medicines and the services they expect.

At a time when such complaints about patient care persist, the discovery of the hospital's unused medical supplies at a waste depot has created a fresh controversy over management. Observers find it startling that supplies with years of shelf life are ending up outside while patients inside struggle to obtain what they need.

Hospital sources say 35 to 40 van-loads of waste are removed from MMC Hospital every day. Several sacks of syringes, cannulas, saline and other supplies were found at the waste storage site, with years still left before their expiry dates.

Workers involved in waste collection claim the supplies will be returned to the hospital. But it is not clear through what process the supplies became mixed with waste and left the premises, or how regular this return arrangement really is.

Jubeda Khatun, a worker engaged in waste collection, said a total of 11 workers are employed in collecting and sorting the waste. Four of them collect waste from MMC Hospital, while the remaining seven sort it at the storage site.

She said new syringes, cannulas and saline arrive with the waste every day. They keep those items in separate sacks, and after 10 to 12 days, when three or four sacks have accumulated, they return them to the hospital. According to her account, the rest is sold at wholesale rates.

Attempts were made to contact the contractor, Ashraful Islam, but his comment could not be obtained, leaving the full picture of the incident unclear.

The hospital's senior store officer, Dr Jhantu Sarkar, said there is no scope for unused syringes, cannulas, saline and other medical supplies to go outside the hospital. He said the matter would be looked into and necessary action taken.

Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ahmed, chief coordinator of the civic organisation Mymensingh Mancha, has demanded an inquiry into how the hospital's unused supplies reached the waste depot.

In his view, the fact that these supplies left the hospital's management calls for an investigation into the authorities' responsibility and supervision. The organisation has also demanded that those involved in the incident be identified and action taken against them.

Attention now rests on the outcome of the hospital authorities' inquiry. If the route by which the supplies left is identified and action is taken against those responsible, a repeat of such incidents may be prevented, conscious citizens believe.