Hazardous Waste

HAZARDOUS WASTE

HFI Medical  Clinic

Jacmel, Haiti

Summer 2013

As we close up our free clinic every day, we take great care to keep our hazardous waste under our watch. We recognize that there is little to no solid waste treatment plant in Jacmel. So our rubble gloves, used needles and bloody gauze pads are kept securely in a large, orange hazardous waste bag, in the corner, of the medical clinic. I will secure the proper handling of this package when our summer clinic ends in a few weeks.

But today, as I stroll around the neighborhood, I see a young girl blowing up what looks lie a balloon. Upon closer inspection, I see that she has a used surgical glove and is now bouncing the glove as if it is a ball.

Panic surges through my body as I take ownership of this predicament. Where did she get this glove? Did this glove come from our trash? Besides us, who else uses surgical gloves in this community? Am I being careful enough?  Is the yardman taking our hazardous waste and discarding it without my knowledge? What should I do?

The young girl quickly disappears from my sight but for the remainder of the summer, this moment never leaves my mind.