With at least one hospital waste incinerator, perhaps the only one, out of action, it is reported that clinical waste is filling the streets of Cairo.

In such a troubled and generally under-resourced country, this comes perhaps as no surprise.

It shows, firstly, a lack of suitable equipment and either the ability to maintain it adequately, or access to components and technical expertise.

It also speaks of a lack of planning and regulation that fails to ensure wastes are stored appropriately. In a country with high daytime temperatures refrigeration may be considered but except for bulk wet sanitary wastes and nappies containing faeces the value of refrigeration is perhaps minimal and the lack of suitable cold plant should be no great problem. However, at any time, secure storage of wastes is an obvious necessity.

In the absence of better containers, open metal skips are better than nothing as they will contain leakage, prevent access by vermin and allow easy removal when suitable treatment options are found. A tarpaulin of netting cover will keep birds away, while a light spray with insecticide will prevent nuisance from flies. Dosing with strong disinfectants is almost certainly unhelpful and unnecessary. In this way, the health and safety of those close to the wastes will be properly managed, as will the wider public health impact of wastes piled in the streets. Waste regulators and public health specialists should be working hard to prevent this.

And what is unnecessary if the siting of a skip sitting haphazardly in an open ditch, with waste sacks spilling from it and scattered around at its base.  When its full, in fact before its full, get another skip. Surely it ain’t that difficult?