Mymensingh Medical College Hospital Supplies Dumped as Waste Despite Validity Until 2031

Unused medical supplies from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH), including syringes, cannulas and saline, are being found at a waste storage site in the Shambhuganj area of the city. Although some of these items have expiry dates running to 2028 and 2031, questions have been raised over how they are leaving the hospital with the waste.

MMCH is one of the main medical care institutions for people of the greater Mymensingh region. Thousands of patients come here for treatment every day. Amid complaints of not getting necessary medicines and the services they want, the discovery of unused medical supplies at a waste storage site has caused concern and criticism.

Inquiries found that several sacks of medical supplies, including syringes, cannulas and saline, were found at the Shambhuganj waste storage site. These items still have several years before they expire. Workers involved in collecting and sorting the waste claim that new medical supplies that arrive with the waste are set aside separately. Later, some items are returned to the hospital and the rest are sold at wholesale prices.

Jubeda Khatun, a worker involved in collecting and sorting the waste, said 11 workers are engaged in this work. Four of them collect waste from MMCH, and the other seven sort it at the waste storage site.

She also said new syringes, cannulas and saline come in with the waste every day. These are kept in separate sacks. After 10 to 12 days, when three to four sacks have built up, they are returned to the hospital. The remaining items are sold at wholesale prices.

Imtiaz Ahmed, chief coordinator of the civic organisation Mymensingh Mancha, has demanded an investigation into how the hospital’s unused medical supplies are reaching the waste storage site. He said it is essential to examine the responsibility and oversight of the authorities in the matter of these items leaving the hospital. At the same time, those involved in the incident should be identified and action taken against them, he said.

Attempts were made to contact contractor Ashraful Islam about this, but his comments could not be obtained.

Jhontu Sarkar, senior store officer of the hospital, said there is no scope for unused medical supplies, including syringes, cannulas and saline, to go outside the hospital. The matter will be looked into and necessary action taken, he said.

He also said that if there is no scope for these items to go outside the hospital, there are questions about how they would be returned. After the leave ends, those concerned will be called in and asked to account, and necessary action will be taken.

According to hospital sources, 35 to 40 van loads of waste are removed from MMCH every day. It is learned that from this waste, three to several sacks of unused medical supplies, including syringes, cannulas and saline, are found every week.