Hazmat suits carelessly dumped at burial site

As per standard protocol, safe disposal of PPE is the responsibility of GHMC

Five to six blue plastic overalls lay strewn across in the Amberpet grave yard on Monday, which were observed curiously by persons who arrived to pay obeisance to their departed kin on the occasion of Ramzan festival.

They were seemingly ignorant of the fact that approaching the material out of inquisitiveness could infect them with the deadly virus which has been on a rampage across the world, killing lakhs.

The blue overalls were Hazmat suits, part of the personal protective equipment worn by the handlers of the dead bodies infected with COVID-19.

Despite the pandemic creating havoc in the city with ever increasing numbers, handlers of the dead bodies did not as much care to follow the due procedure in disposing of the suits, and dumped them in the graveyard against all established norms.

“I have seen two dead bodies being brought here by persons wearing these suits. I even recorded it. I noticed later that the suits were dumped here,” shared Rajesh (name changed), who lives in a building adjacent to the graveyard.

Video clip

In the video clip shared by him, a total of six persons could be seen in the suits, five carrying a body, and one more person shooting it on his mobile phone.

There were no protests when the bodies were brought here, as the road was blocked and nobody was allowed to loiter.

“Everybody thought the barricading was for the flyover work which had been going on for some time,” said Rajesh, who could shoot the burial from the top floor of his building.

As per the standard protocol spelt by the State government based on the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, safe disposal of the PPE worn by handlers of the body, and family members is GHMC’s responsibility.

Also, the protocol enjoins the officials to ensure that the material after usage should be bagged separately marked as ‘COVID disposed Material for Incineration’ and sent in safe method of transport to approved biomedical waste management facility for incineration as per standards.

AMOH, Secunderabad, Ravinder Goud, who is in-charge of the dead body disposal, said that there were strict instructions to the handlers and the driver of the ambulance, to follow the protocol.

Inquiry promised

“The PPEs should be enclosed in a black cover duly marked, and handed over to the Bio Medical Waste unit at Gandhi Hospital. Return of all suits is accounted for whenever a dead body is disposed of,” he said, adding that the suits may have been dumped there by outsiders, probably by private hospital staff.

He said the GHMC did not use plastic suits. However, an inquiry will be instituted on the issue, he said.