有害醫療廢料再現香港 市民健康繼續受嚴重威脅
有害的醫療廢料繼續污染香港的水質和海灘，並對香港市民的健康安全造成巨大威脅。
今天創建香港行政總裁司馬文先生，居民Moran Zukerman，無塑海洋行政總裁Tracey Read及梁嘉麗小姐於政府總部外再次展示在大嶼山海灘收集的大量醫療及化學廢料，並呈交環境保護署進行調查。
這是第三次，亦是三次內最多醫療廢料數量供環境保護署進行調查。在信中，他們強烈要求環境保護署正視問題，並盡快作出相關調查及採取行動。在去年七月十二日及十二月六日，志願者已先後拾獲並向政府轉交大批醫療及化學廢料，可惜環境保護署仍未就我們提交的廢料樣本發表任何調查結果。
有關漂浮在香港的沙灘上針筒和連針針筒事宜，我們已於2008年開始向環境保護署表示關注。居民Moran Zukerman亦於去年開始在大嶼山小型的海灘收集具危險性的醫療廢料。在這十二個月內是第三次收集，當中包括529枝針筒，402枝沒有連針，127枝連針。另外，還發現藥筒，藥瓶和藥袋，有些物品甚至有被魚咬過的痕跡。居民Moran表示:「政府有聘請承包商清理海灘，但我卻發現越來越多的醫療廢料。我並不是要清理海灘，而是希望調查其來源並訂立預防措施，防止醫療廢料在我們的海洋漂浮。」
無塑海洋行政總裁Tracey Read表示:「有些藥物好像是來自中國內地，其他明顯是來自香港。香港特區政府需要與廣東進行跨部門合作，調查醫療廢料的來源和其性質，並建立處理於中國內地和香港非法棄置的危險醫療的廢料，阻止廢料流入環境是極為重要的。」
要制止不當棄置本地藥物及使用過的針筒，政府需制定和促進一個回收藥物的計劃及建立便利的棄置使用過針筒設施。政府可與公營及私營的醫療機構合作，提供回收箱分類收集使用過的針筒和不需要的藥物。
7個月內所收集的醫療廢料
Collected medical waste within 7 months
向環境保護署代表遞交請願信
Letter submission to Environmental Protection Department (EPD)
如需要詳盡資訊，可參考：
2016年7月12日的新聞稿：https://goo.gl/42p5DX
2016年12月6日的新聞稿：https://goo.gl/3kGZSB
Dangerous and harmful medical waste found on HK’s beaches continues to put people at risk
Hazardous medical waste continues to pollute Hong Kong’s water and beaches. The waste poses a huge risk to the health and safety of tourists and Hong Kong people.
Today, Designing Hong Kong’s CEO Paul Zimmerman, Moran Zukerman, a local resident, and Plastic Free Seas’ CEO Tracey Read and Julia Leung again submitted a large amount of medical and chemical waste retrieved from a Lantau beach to the Environmental Protection Department.
It is the third and largest delivery of medical waste to the EPD for investigation. In a letter they seriously urged EPD to take follow-up action. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has yet to publish the investigation outcomes after large amounts of medical and chemical waste were collected and delivered to the government on 12th July 2016 and 6th December 2016 respectively.
Reports of syringes and needles washing up on beaches all over Hong Kong have been lodged since 2008. To show the scale of the issue Mr Zukerman has concentrated his efforts on collecting dangerous medical waste from one small Lantau beach since last year. This third delivery in 12 months includes 529 syringes, 402 without needles and 127 syringes with needles. Also included are drug vials, medicine bottles and medicine packets. Some of the items have evidence of bite marks by fish. “Government has hired more contractors for beach cleaning, but I keep finding more medical waste,” Zukerman said. “I don’t want beach cleaning. I want full forensic investigation into potential source points, and preventative strategies to stop medical waste floating in our seas.”
“Some of the medicine looks to be originating from China, others are obviously from Hong Kong,” Plastic Free Seas’ CEO Tracey Read said. “The HKSAR government needs to have an inter-departmental collaboration with Guangdong counterparts to investigate the sources and nature of the waste and establish an action plan to deal with the illegal disposal of hazardous medical and veterinary waste in China and Hong Kong. Preventing the waste from leaking into the environment is of the utmost importance.”
One solution to stop improper disposal of local medicines and used syringes is to facilitate a Hong Kong “take-back” program for unwanted medicines and accessible disposal facilities for used syringes. Government can work with public and private health facilities to provide sharps bins (for used syringes) and containers for unwanted medicines.
More information
Press release on 12thJuly 2016: https://goo.gl/42p5DX
Press release on 6th December 2016: https://goo.gl/3kGZSB
