Residents up in arms over Health Ministry dumping hospital waste at IDH 

May 29, 2016, 9:44 pm

National Hospital waste haphazradly dumped in the surroundings of the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Gothatuwa.

Text and pics by Ranjith Wimalasiri

Residents living in the vicinity of the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at Gothatuwa are up in arms against the health ministry move to dump refuse from the National Hospital in vacant lands in the area transported in ministry vehicles.

They demanded Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Rajitha Senaratne to hold an immediate inquiry into the incident.

A number of residents who spoke to "The Island" said, they ran the risk of facing a serious health hazard if the ministry continued to dump refuse in the area and added that there was an unbearable stench emanating from the dumping sites.

Among the items dumped here are blood stained gauze, parts of human anatomy, shards of glass, empty bottles etc.

"During the recent floods the situation became worse with the water level rising as high as five feet the rotting refuse from the national hospital dumped here washed away with the flood water into the houses," the residents complained.