Disposing of used material correctly is our civic duty

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It is a flurry of worry for Mulund residents as they are concerned about used PPE kits discarded near their residential societies.

The locals are worried that stray animals will drag these kits with their teeth and in this way, there is a danger of the infection spreading.

There has been action once they complained but it is evident that this is not an isolated problem. Some time ago, Colaba locals had reported seeing medical waste which may have included PPE kits as some hotels in the vicinity are quarantine centres, discarded on the promenade near the Gateway of India.

There were at least two instances when locals claimed to have spotted bags, with what they said was most probably medical waste as they could see through the plastic material. They did inform their ward official who had it cleared in good time. This though can be attributed to the alertness of citizens and constant vigilance. It is important though that every facility has those in charge of discarding the kits in a proper manner.

Individuals of course, can go to the Internet and look at instructions citing how masks are to be disposed of. Each person has to take it upon himself to be educated about the correct way to discard used masks. Housing societies too need to be absolutely non-negotiable about this and a notice to members on how to discard these in a safe and hygienic way, may be in order.

On a larger scale, facilities using kits have to be held accountable for disposal, too. An awareness campaign, like the civic authorities have done so for COVID-19, prevention and symptoms will also help. Respect for others, and responsibility for the environment, that is the message you send when you discard and dispose of used medical equipment in the way it is supposed to be done.

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