There is a health concern coming out of Punta Gorda tonight. Our colleagues at PGTV report that toxic medical waste in red bags is being stored in the PG Morgue. Red bag waste is the most sensitive type of medical waste and it is bagged like that to denote potentially infectious material or a biohazard.

But the bags have nowhere else to go because the incinerator at that facility broke down, and then so did the one at the Southern Regional Hospital! So, the waste had to be disposed of by burial, but the earth was too wet for heavy equipment to operator. With that it had to be stored in the morgue and the incinerator room. As bad as it looks to the public eye, today a senior health inspector told us the waste does not pose a public health risk:..

John Bodden, Senior Public Health Inspector
"Currently they are being kept under good condition. They are being properly managed. Its just that we've had difficulty in terms of the disposal of the red waste from the hospital."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but sir is this safe having these red bags in the morgue? We know that red bags are the most toxic sort of medical waste."

John Bodden, Senior Public Health Inspector
"Actually they are bagged properly, so it doesn't pose any problem to any individual. We have a plan in place whereby periodically these waste are removed from the hospital and actually taken to the dump site for burial. Unfortunately due to the weather condition over the last couple of months, the site has been very inaccessible. Now that the rain had actually ceased, we are actually getting a back how to go in and dig and actually continue the burial process as per usual."

Jules Vasquez
"How soon will this situation be eliminated?"

John Bodden, Senior Public Health Inspector
"In fact as we speak the provider who actually provides a back hoe for the excavating at the dump site is being contacted for the removal of the waste."

Jules Vasquez
"So then it should be eliminated by the end of business tomorrow or will it take until the end of the week?"

John Bodden, Senior Public Health Inspector
"It should be dealt with first thing in the morning."

As you heard Bodden say, it should be disposed of by the end of tomorrow.

Channel 7