Scrap dealers, doctors booked for selling used syringes

Authorities in hepatitis-hit Sabarakantha district, where the liver disease has claimed 48 lives so far, have filed cases against doctors and scrap dealers after investigations revealed that the physicians sold used syringes and medical waste, police said on Thursday.

Medical waste, including used syringes, have to be disposed of, according to the Bio-Medical Waste (management and handling) Rules 1998.

But when the Sabarkantha Food and Drugs department raided the premises of the scrap dealers on Wednesday, they found used syringes, needles and medical waste in large quantities, which according to the scrap dealers was sold to them by some doctors, police said.

Savjibhai Rabari and Gulam Rasul are the scrap dealers who have been booked, they said.

The doctors against whom FIRs have been registered include Dr Haresh Shah, Dr Suresh Shah, Dr Dilip, Dr Prakash and Dr Jayesh, police said, adding that a compounder, Kantibhai, has also been booked.

All have been booked under section 269 of the Negligent Act (likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), they said.

The hepatitis outbreak in Sabarkantha has claimed 48 till now.