Some citizens in Ameth-beek residential area in Abyei Town have complained about the danger of disposing of medical waste and some expired medicines near or in residential areas, and expressed their fears that this could cause diseases to the residents, especially in the fall.
The therapeutic health official in Abyei Municipality urged families not to let children play with medical waste such as needles, noting that such waste may expose them to the risk of contracting many diseases such as HIV/AIDS, chest diseases, and wounds. He also advised health clinic owners to collect medical waste and it hand over to the health department for destruction far away from residential areas to ensure people’s safety.
For his part, the environmental sanitation and public health official in Abyei municipality, Mr. Dau Acuil, said that dumping of medical waste on the roads poses a danger to citizens, pointing out that they will destroy the medical waste. Acuil explained that the municipality will issue local orders to prevent the throwing of medical waste and not to burn it.
Meanwhile, Juac Achidad Chol said that disposing of medical waste near residential areas has serious health risks, noting that children playing with these wastes may get infected or poisoned. Chol asked health clinic owners to ensure that medical waste is burned by waste workers.
While Malith Majith, expressed his annoyance with the disposal of medical waste, such as blood samples, syringes and needles, on the road leading to the Miakol village. He stated that this practice may cause outbreak of diseases among citizens, especially children, and he urged officials and clinic owners to be careful in burying needles and burning the waste to ensure people’s safety.
Mr. Yai Awan Abyei, the owner of a health clinic in the Mulmul area, denied throwing medical waste on the road. He says his medical team collects needles and deliver them to the health department to destroy them. Besides, none-medical waste is collected by cleaners and burned outside the town.
