A POTENTIAL major public health disaster was averted on Wednesday afternoon after a team from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Solid Waste Management Department quickly removed medical waste that was disposed on the corner of Oronoque and Forshaw streets, Queenstown, Georgetown.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, Georgetown municipality’s Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine, explained that the waste, which was disposed of, belonged to a doctor who resided at the property situated at the site.

He noted that the owner of the property acquired judgement against his tenant, the doctor, for his immediate eviction from the property. In doing so, all of the doctor’s possessions that were stored in the building were disposed of on the parapet.

Among the waste were hundreds of boxes of a wide variety of expired medication, official documents marked the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, medical utensils and equipment and other household waste.

Narine expressed that the dumping of the waste was irresponsible and a “serious health hazard”. He noted that the expired medications could have fallen into the wrong hands and consumed, or even redistributed.

The Solid Waste Director explained that waste of that nature is disposed of through unorthodox procedure at the landfill, whereby holes are dug and the waste is buried to prevent “pickers” from digging it up.

He noted that anyone with medical waste to be disposed of should contact the Georgetown Mayor and City Council Solid Waste Management Department, which would make necessary provisions for safe disposal.

Narine explained that an investigation has already been launched at the Georgetown City Hall to ascertain the identity of the proprietor of the property, as well as the tenant, who will both be charged accordingly.