Hyderabad: Medical waste from Gandhi Hospital sparks panic

"We are already suffering because of the constant malodorous smell of rotting corpses. It assaults us all through the day. Adding more to our misery, now all the medical waste like PPE kits, syringes, masks, gloves and other things are being dumped every day in the open close to residential areas," say residents

Musheerabad: Amid the increasing spate of Coronavirus cases, residents of Padmarao Nagar, in apartments and colonies, are very much worried over prospects of infection as they are living nearby Gandhi Hospital. As the hospital operates Covid isolation ward, medical waste being dumped in the open, a few meters away from the back road, is causing jitters to the residents staying there. The isolation ward and the colonies are divided only by the boundary wall of hospital.

Explaining their plight PV Sridhar, the secretary of Sheshagiri Apartments Welfare Association, said, "We are already suffering because of the constant malodorous smell of rotting corpses. It assaults us all through the day. Adding more to our misery, now all the medical waste like PPE kits, syringes, masks, gloves and other things are being dumped every day in front of our apartment."

"The place where the dump bin and our apartment is only divided by a wall. Following this, residents are scared and concerned about their safety. So far we have not seen any authority or political leader address this issue," he adds further.

All attempts to intimate the authorities and political leaders by the residents of Shambhavi and Sheshagiri apartments have been in vain. "We have been facing several issues since the inception of hospital, be it the mortuary issue or this one. We residents are helpless and have to live with this constant fear. This is nothing but wounding the already injured people. This is our SOS request to the government," said V Hari, another resident of Sheshagiri Apartments. Many residents staying there moved to their relatives' place for time being. The association has asked all residents to close their windows and regularly sanitise the building and houses.