Delhi: PPE kits found dumped at Lodhi Road crematorium, Poses Serious Risk
NEW DELHI : In surprising visuals from contained in the crematorium – which is situated in one of many nationwide capital’s extra upscale residential neighborhoods.
A number of sky-blue PPE (private protecting equipment) fits lie discarded among piles of plastic waste and family garbage, elevating severe questions on a possible biohazard scenario and the potential for the virus spreading even additional.
According to crematorium workers the Delhi municipal company is meant to gather medical waste every single day and guarantee its correct disposal. However, they haven’t been common of their pick-ups, resulting in the mounds of deserted PPEs and protecting gear.
PPE suits, face masks and gloves, critical resources in the fight against the COVID-19 virus, have been tossed aside as garbage inside Crematorium. The kits were thrown away by relatives and friends of people who died after contracting the infectious virus and whose bodies were sent to the crematorium for disposal.
People living in slums just outside the crematorium told that on several instances PPE kits – potentially carrying the highly infectious COVID-19 virus – were also thrown outside, near their homes.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus also spreads via indirect contact – when droplets attach to surfaces like the inside of a PPE suit. The improper disposal of these suits and other protective equipment has left those living near the crematorium fearful of an outbreak in their localities.
In April, Delhi’s AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) released guidelines for the use of PPE kits. These said that they should not be re-used unless absolutely necessary.
Delhi is the second worst-affected region in the country with nearly 60,000 cases, including 24,558 active cases and 2,175 deaths. There were 3,000 new cases on Sunday – the third consecutive day that the number of new infections breached that mark.
The spike in cases has left the ruling AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) scrambling to find enough hospital beds and ventilators (machines to take over the body’s breathing function).
The Delhi government has warned that it will need around 80,000 new beds by the end of next month, by which time it expects to have around 5.5 lakh COVID-19 cases.The crisis in the national capital attracted the wrath of the Supreme Court last week, which said the situation was “horrendous, horrific and pathetic” and directed the centre and Delhi governments to fix the problems.
(NDTV with Agency Inputs ).
