A serious health risk

ACCORDING to a news story in this paper, the authorities have seized clinical waste, including used syringes, worth millions after a raid at two factories in Lahore on Wednesday. The syringes were being packed for marketing when the City District Government’s squad caught the law offenders unawares. The factories were sealed and a case registered against those involved in the business. While one should praise the officers for their efficiency, it is but frightening to know that the case of these two factories involved in the evil practice was just the tip of the iceberg. The illegal trade is posing a big health hazard to the public at large. In most of the cases, these syringes and other surgical equipment are infected with germs of HIV, Hepatitis and other fatal diseases. So the consequences are obvious when they are used again.