The General Department of Environmental Affairs in the Governorate issued Qenaissued an explanatory statement, in response to what was circulated on social media platforms, regarding the presence of medical waste at Qift Specialized Hospital and allegations of its mismanagement.
Engineer Amani Salah, Director General of the General Department of Environmental Affairs in Qena, explained that Major General Dr. Mustafa Al-Beblawi, Governor of Qena, immediately directed the formation of a committee to examine these complaints, and Chemist Saeed Mahmoud Sawaini, Director of the Environment Department in the local unit of the center and city of Qift, went to the site and examined the issue on the field in partnership with the concerned authorities to find out the truth of the situation.
Salah added that the physical inspection showed that the materials circulating in the pictures are “products of the chopping and sterilization unit,” and not raw medical waste as was rumored, as the medical waste is first treated inside a unit designated for chopping and sterilization inside the hospital to transform it into non-hazardous materials, and these processed products are delivered to the competent authorities for use or final disposal in accordance with the legally approved environmental system.
The Director General of the General Department of Environmental Affairs indicated that despite the safety of the technical procedures, emphasis was placed on the necessity of quickly removing the accumulated quantities of treatment products immediately, and the safe and organized storage of these products in their designated places until they are delivered to the competent authorities, to ensure that there are no negative visual or environmental effects.
Salah stressed that the General Administration of Environmental Affairs is closely monitoring all health facilities, and that legal measures will not be tolerated against any violation that affects environmental requirements or threatens the safety of citizens.
