The environmental police from southern Tay Ninh Province and other relevant agencies on Monday (June 29) started digging up untreated medical waste illegally buried by Le Ngoc Tung Hospital – a private general hospital.

Last Thursday, two security guards of the hospital were caught red-handed by the police, when they were burying three packages of medical wastes weighing more than 100 kilos, in Chau Thanh District's Thanh Binh Village.

The police said the packages contained used gloves, needles, bandages, etc.

A sample of soil from the spot where the hospital buried medical wastes, has been taken for tests, a representative of the provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department said.

The police have ordered the hospital to immediately start working with a unit specialised in collecting and treating medical waste as per regulations.

Do Trong Hieu, deputy director of the hospital, noted that the hospital's incinerator was under construction. Hence, the hospital's board of directors told the security guards team to take all medical wastes to a secluded spot, away from residential areas, and burn them.

However, the hospital does not know why its security guards tried to bury instead of burning the waste, he added.

The hospital opened last September, with 35 beds and other latest equipment.

Source: VNS