Foetuses found dumped in sewage pond in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: Residents of Keezha Panchapur (Ward No 39) were shocked to see the panic-stricken kids who were running helter-skelter after looking at a dog running through the streets holding a developed human foetus here on Sunday.The residents, in turn, passed on the information to Council Member, K Thangaraj, who later found that the dog had collected its ‘booty’ from the Corporation-owned sewage pond in Muniappa Nagar. When Thangaraj and the residents rushed to the spot, to their shock, they found about 300 containers with medical wastes, many of which contained both developed and partially-developed foetuses.The containers also had blood samples and slides used in Askha medical laboratory, Tiruchy. Despite the stipulated norms for destroying medical wastes, which would easily prevent the spread of contagious diseases, the private laboratory had thrown it on the open.“As soon as we saw the heap of medical waste, we alerted the corporation officials, police and also the VAO and showed the boxes that contained the medical waste emitting stench,” Thangaraj said.Sanitary Inspector, Raja Kannu, who visited the spot said, “The miscreants had thrown the waste as minimal number of sanitary staff would be on duty.” “This is the first time, we have ever witnessed this and information has been passed on to the City Health Officer,” Raja Kannu added.When contacted the City Health Officer, Dr K C Cheran, said he had ordered an investigation to find out the laboratory from where it had been thrown out. “Severe action will be taken against the laboratory which had done this,” Cheran said.Later in the evening, the sanitary staff with the help of local residents, buried the foetus and the containers and some of them were burnt as per norms.