Govt. quizzed over rules for disposal of kits

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the AAP government whether there were any guidelines or protocols in place for disposal of used COVID-19 testing kits and whether they were being followed by the hospitals, clinics and doctors under its jurisdiction.

A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan asked the Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose and advocate Naman Jain to find out the guidelines or protocols in place, the authority which issued them and whether they were being implemented.

The High Court’s direction came on a petition filed by advocate Pankaj Mehta, which has alleged improper disposal of used swabs from rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 at the office of the District Magistrate (South-East Delhi) at Lajpat Nagar.

Mr. Mehta has sought direction to the Delhi government to carry out safety audits at COVID-19 testing centres across the city.

The matter will be heard again on December 3.

Mr. Mehta said when he complained about the risk of widespread infection and the irregularity behind disposing off the swabs, the doctor at the counter said that the swabs are of negative patients. He argued that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through its Clinical Management Protocol Notification has laid emphasis on safe waste management and cleaning of the environment across all the areas of healthcare facilities.

“However, the enforcement of the same has been completely ignored by the respondents [Delhi government] as evident by the actions of the medical staff at the office of the District Magistrate, South-East Delhi in Lajpat Nagar and by medical staff across the country,” the plea said. – The Hindu