Residents concerned by incinerated medical waste in Najaf

NAJAF, August 17 — Residents of Najaf’s Al-Karama neighborhood are concerned about air pollution from the medical incinerator at Al-Mashkab Hospital, located in the heart of the neighborhood.

The concerned citizens shared a video clip of the smokestack emitting black clouds, which they claim contain “expired pharmaceutical waste.” However, the hospital’s administration has denied these claims.

Zaid Ahmed, a resident of Al-Karama, told 964: “It’s not logical to have a medical incinerator inside the largest residential area in Al-Mashkab. The air has become polluted, and residents living near the incinerator feel suffocated and bothered. We demand its removal or relocation to another place outside residential areas.”

Nihal Al-Muhanna, Director of Al-Mashkab Health, told 964: “The incinerator at Al-Mashkab Hospital is only for light medical waste such as syringes, gauze, and sterilization materials. They are collected in bags and burned inside the incinerator. As for expired pharmaceuticals, there are lengthy procedures and investigations carried out by the Najaf Health Department. Afterward, they are disposed of in designated areas far from residential areas. We confirm that there are no operations of burning medications and chemicals in the health incinerator inside Al-Mashkab Hospital.”