Tunis: The medical waste crisis in Moulares continues unabated due to its direct impact on environmental security and the health of residents, according to a report titled "Environmental Degradation in Gafsa: Cities Submerged by their Waste," released last March 13 by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) Environmental and Climate Justice department. "Lately, this critical category of waste generated by various health establishments has been drawing increasing attention, particularly following the shutdown of two companies operating in the region, Green Gafsa and Sud Environnement, which were involved in the collection and treatment of medical waste. The shutdown followed the withdrawal of their operating licences for failure to comply with the specifications governing their profession," the forum recalls. "Some 700 tonnes of hazardous medical waste have been stored in the warehouses of these two companies since they shutdown three years ago, posing a number of challenges, notably in ter ms of collection and management. This waste now represents a real danger, especially as it is not monitored in any way by the supervisory authorities." "Medical waste is considered hazardous under Article 5 of Decree No. 2745 of July 28, 2008, governing the conditions and methods for managing medical waste." "The untreated disposal of medical waste is a clear environmental violation, as it affects the air, water and soil, not to mention the risks posed to various staff groups such as nurses, cleaners and others during the collection and transportation of this waste." "The main problem in this field lies in the failure of state authorities to comply with decisions made. Despite Tunisia's decision since 2008 to break with the policy of burning medical waste in hospitals, and to devise a national strategy to manage it by calling on the private sector, whereby private companies have been tasked with treating the waste after it has been sorted and stored by the medical institutions producing it, their failure t o comply with this measure has increased the risks posed by this dangerous category of waste." "This has led to the haphazard accumulation of waste in the town of Metlaoui. To date, the relevant authorities have not drawn up a plan to deal with the piles of hospital waste in the area, despite the meetings held in the region to discuss this serious environmental problem. These meetings were attended by various stakeholders, including the National Chamber of Waste Collection Companies and a number of companies active in this field, who expressed willingness to collect and treat the stockpiled medical waste." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
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