Residents of Azire Old Church Junction in Bamenda were alarmed on Thursday, July 19, when used medical equipment, including syringes and other medical waste, was found in a garbage heap that had engulfed the area.
The discovery has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns about the disposal practices of medical facilities in the city.
Based on Cameroon’s law of August 5, 1996, regulating waste management, local Councils are responsible for disposing only household waste.
Business entities, hospitals, schools, among others, are responsible for collecting and disposing of their own waste.
In Bamenda, locals noticed hazardous hospital waste in huge quantities buried among household waste.
The waste included used needles and other potentially infectious materials, that pose health risks to the community.
“I was shocked to see such dangerous items just lying there,” said Mbah, a resident who discovered the waste. “It’s a threat to everyone.”
Medical waste disposal is regulated under strict guidelines to prevent environmental contamination and protect public health.
However, incidents like this highlight the potential lapses in adherence to these protocols.
“We are worried because exposure to contaminated medical waste can lead to serious infections and diseases. It is crucial that all medical facilities follow proper disposal methods to protect the community and the environment,” said Chofor, another resident.
The Empire Company, contracted by the Bamenda City Council to clean the town, transferred the medical waste from Old Church Junction to the Mile 6 Mankon dump site, thereby relocating the health and environmental risk to another area.
The incident has reignited the debate over the need for appropriate waste disposal strategies.
In the meantime, the community has taken it upon themselves to stop any further waste dumping at the Azire Old Church junction, which serves as the main entrance into Nitop 3, with the aim of safeguarding public health.
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