English
In this case, the plaintiff challenged the hospital waste management system used by the hospitals and other health institute in Karachi. Indeed, the plaintiff pointed out that most of the hospital wastes were being incinerated within the two incineration plants of the city.
The plaintiff petitioned the High Court in order to regulate hospital waste management and more specifically the incineration of polyvinil choride (PVC) waste which generate carcinogenic Dioxin gases. Those gases presented a threat for public health. The plaintiff also pointed out that the hospitals waste management system was not respecting both national and international standards and was not in line with the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act of 1997.
Consequently, the plaintiff required the court to order the closure of the incineration plant, to issue directives for the adoption of environmental friendly hospital waste management methods and to incite hospital to choose alternatives to PVC products.
The High Court supported the petition and noted that between the moment where the petition was issued and the judgement, a committee was constituted to elaborate and formulate new, safe and environmental friendly waste disposal technologies. The Court pointed out that the conclusions of the committee were following the petition and that therefore it did not have to give any order.