From: Miscellaneous
Category: News & information
Date: 16 Feb 2008
Time: 13:05:33 +0100
Remote Name: 86.134.111.185
Hlatikulu Hospital a death trap
"FOETUSES, placenta and other limbs destined for the incinerator at the Hlatikulu government hospital are strewn all over the place.
"The Swazi Observer reporters shuddered in disbelief when they were greeted by piles of bags with waste medical materials that were to be disposed of at the incinerator.
"Contained in the bags were wastes such as the placenta and other human flesh, which are unwanted end products from patients. So terrible is the state at the hospital that even the nurses and other staff members were complaining of the odour. This was because the bags had been there since last Friday and their contents were rotting.
"The worst affected areas are the maternity ward and the entrance to the closed incinerator.
"The bags containing such waste were found piled up by the closed facility.
"Stray dogs also drag the waste and this alone puts the lives of many in serious danger, not only within the hospital but also the general populace of the town.
“We have areas used as dumpsites and scavengers sometimes visit these areas.
"Some of these people pick some perishable food items thrown at the dumpsite for personal consumption.
"Others sell these to the public. Then the same pets that have found their way to the bags containing such medical waste are also found in the dumpsite.
Let's not forget that, in many part of the world, standards of healthcare are terribly poor and hand in hand with that standards of public health and waste management are absolutely appalling.
The world community needs to act.
http://www.observer.org.sz:80/main.php?id=41261§ion=main
First posted 02-Feb-2008