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Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Authorities in Mukono district have closed two health facilities for dumping medical waste in Nakawolore wetland.
The closed facilities are Star medical center and Migadde medical center both located in Ngandu village, Mukono Central division. The managers, Cyrus Waisswa and Francis Migadde respectively have also been summoned to Mukono police division to record statements.
The facilities closure followed community outcry over medical wastes including glassware, bandages, gloves, human tissues and discarded sharp objects such as needles dumped in Nakawolore wetland located in Mukono municipality.
The municipal medical director Dr. Anthony Kkonde, says after recurring outcries, they launched an investigation where they discovered documents related to these facilities in the waste. Upon inspecting the facilities, they were found to lack proper medical disposal systems.
Residents claim the dumping is posing a great health risk in the area. The wetland is located close to many people’s gardens interconnected with various streams running through.
Wasswa Lubabu who washes boda bodas at Nakawolore water stream says the dumping usually happens during night hours. He blames municipal officials for relaxing in monitoring private garbage collectors and systems of handling medical waste specifically by private facilities.
Isaac Ssenabulya, a councilor for Ngandu, Mukono Central Division says the dumping is hazardous that sometimes the wetland floods, delivering the dangerous waste into people’s homes.
Dr. Kkonde says at the beginning of January, they are going to make it an imperative to visit every facility tasking it to reveal their waste disposal systems.
Mukono District Health Officer Dr. Stephen Mulindwa, says his office has also started investigations to ensure proper waste disposal especially in private health facilities.
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