ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) is going to launch punitive action against pathology laboratories in the federal capital for flouting Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), 1997 and Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005 from Monday.

“Pathology labs in Blue Area have been served notices and those not appearing will be sealed from Monday. All seriously ill patients are tested at these labs and there waste management is of critical importance,” the EPA DG Farzana Altaf Shah told APP while elaborating the extensive enforcement measures of the environmental watchdog in the federal capital.

Shah added that the Labs working as per hospital waste management laws and SOPs would be allowed to operate in the federal capital.

The environmental watchdog has already served strict notices to 66 public and private hospitals and labs for flouting Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), 1997 and Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005.

The EPA issued notices clearly underscored that the hospitals were not adhering to Section 11 of PEPA, 1997 and Hospital Waste Management Rules while conducting their operational activities.

The EPA had called the Chief Executive Officers to appear before the Director General and explain their defence to halt any action to be taken against their facilities by the EPA. Deputy Director Legal and Enforcement Aamir Abbas Khan with the permission of DG EPA Farzana Altaf Shah had issued the notices.

She added that the CEOs of 10-15 hospitals including Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) General Hospital, Islamabad Diagnostic Center (IDC), Agha Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Excel Labs, Musharif Hospital and others appeared on notices for hearing. However, some of them who required time for submitting compliance report were allowed time and the rest were eyes hospitals and OPDs with limited waste generation that were provided necessary sensitization.

Shah informed that the IDC had 17 branches functioning in the federal capital and was not reporting the waste management data of a single branch.

Moreover, she added that the AKU Labs also had over 30 branches and were not reporting their data and was fined under Section 17 (2) whereas the Excel Labs data was also not satisfactory.

The EPA DG underlined that Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and CDA General Hospital was also served notices and no one appeared whereas strict action would be launched against them. These two were the largest public healthcare facilities committing major violations of health laws in the federal capital, she added.

She highlighted that the Polyclinic Hospital was the only healthcare facility in the federal capital showing proper data reporting and compliance of hospital waste management rules.

The hospitals found violating the regulations were Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Shifa Medical Centre, NORI Hospital, PNS Hafeez, Naval Hospital, KRL Hospital, Ali Medical Centre, MAROOF International Hospital, SARF Hospital, Get Well Medical Centre, Life Care Hospital, Maryam Hospital, PAEC General Hospital, Naqaish Hospital, Ali Hospital, CDA Hospital, Islamic International Dental Hospital, Fatima Medical Laboratory, Excel Laboratories, Islamabad Health Complex, Pak Hospital, Khan Medical Centre, Asif Medical Centre, Abbas Medical Centre, Gul Hospital and Maternity Home, Alam Medical Centre, Islamabad Dental Hospital, Federal General Hospital, Shafi Hospital, Maryam Hospital, Begam Jan Hospital, Karachi Hospital, Health Care Medical Centre, Rawal Medical & Dental Hospital, Islamabad Medical Complex, Humaira Medical Centre, Shangla Health Clinic, Medicsi, Lodhi Medical Store, Samar Clinic, Asia Diagnostic Centre, Super Lab & Diagnostic Centre, MaxHealth Hospital, Agha Khan University Hospital, My Clinic, Crescent Lab & Diagnostic Centre, South East Hospital, Ch M Hussain Natt Trust Hospital, Vital Diagnostic Centre, Salma & Kafeel Medical Services, Excel Labs, Bio Diagnostic Center, Modern Healthcare Hospital, Federal General Hospital, Shaheen Medical Laboratories, Prime Health Labs, Perfect Diagnostic Center, Khyber Dental Clinic, Jinnah Laboratory, Islamabad Medical Centre, Bilquis Memorial Hospital, International Laser Hair Transplant, Agha Khan Laboratory collection unit. It is imperative to mention that hospital waste management was of critical significance as its poor disposal leads to further misuse of hazardously contaminated disposal items into manufacturing of various plastic products of household use.