A HOSPITAL in Zimbabwe has reportedly been charged with breaching health laws after it allegedly dumped blood and other medical waste at an open dump site in Mt Hampden, "posing serious health risks to children who used the blood as lipstick and nail polish".
According to New Zimbabwe.com, the hospital was tracked down after documents with its Belgravia address were found at the dump site by a health officer.
The medical waste material included used surgical gloves, blood tubes, intravenous fluid packs and powder bottles. The report said "children who were playing close by then picked up the litter and started applying the blood to their lips and nails".
The children were reportedly noticed by their parents, who then raised the alarm to an environmental health officer, who immediately notified the police.
The trial has been set for 4 August.
Reports earlier this year said that women living in a small town in north-western Zimbabwe were reportedly at risk of contracting cervix cancer following reports that they were allegedly using toxic acidic mine waste to stimulate their sexual pleasure.
The Centre for Natural Resources Governance said mining companies in the Hwange district were exposing women to serious health risk by dumping toxic acidic waste in unprotected fields.
According to Zimbabwe's Environmental Management Act, no person shall generate, store, sell, transport, use, recycle and discharge or dispose of hazardous waste in the environment except under licence from the Environmental Management Agency.
