FAISALABAD, March 3: The Environmental Protection Agency found 14 major private hospitals of the city involved in polluting the environment and endangering the public health through improper disposal of hospital waste.

The management of these hospitals has been directed to install incinerators for the proper disposal of hospital waste failing which they would have to face legal action.

Sources said different teams of the EPA raided Ghafoor Bashir Hospital, Alnoor Hospital, Government General Hospital Ghulam Muhammadabad, Allah Rakhi Hospital, Aziz Fatima Hospital, Mian Muhammad Trust Hospital, Sahil Hospital, Faisal Hospital, Al-Rehman Hospital, Saint Rafeel Hospital, Rathore Hospital, Mehrvi Hospital, National Hospital and Khadija Mehmood Trust Hospital and found that medical waste was not being disposed of properly.

The District Officer (Environment) issued a pollution control order to all these hospitals directing them to make sure the use of cutters for disposable syringes and other empty plastic bags to prevent the repacking.

Hospital managements have also been directed to install incinerators within next couple of months failing which punishment under section 145 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 would be taken against them.

Meanwhile, the DO (Environment) issued another pollution control order to 19 other private hospitals and clinics for the shifting of their medical waste to local Allied Hospital for its proper dumping.

RESIGNATION: The resignation tendered by Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) president Mian Muhammad Idrees has become talk of the town for it has not so far been formally accepted.

According to the FCCI secretary, the resignation would be presented before the executive committee which would decide its fate. However, the FCCI chief has not been visiting the chamber office for the last three days.

Inquiries reveal that the group in favour of Mian Idrees is trying its best to convince the president for withdrawing the resignation. On the other hand, executive members allergic to the president are vying to get the resignation approved from the executive committee. However, no formal date has so far been announced for the executive committee meeting.When contacted, Mian Idrees claimed that he had been forced to quit the FCCI top slot owing to opposition of strong chamber lobby who believed in status-quo in chamber activities.

CASE: Lundianwala police on Thursday registered a case against five policemen, including its former SHO, for torturing and keeping three people in illegal confinement.

Villager Riasat Ali of Chak 657-GB had moved the Lahore High Court claiming that SHO Sarfraz Ahmed along with SI Sikandar Ahmed and constables Nawaz, Jawed Iqbal and Noor Ahmed raided his house and took away some valuables. He also alleged that the policemen also took away his relatives Sadaqat, Sadiq and Asghar Ali to some unknown place where they were tortured.

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