Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police to Intensively Crack Down on Illegal Medical Waste Practices at Local Clinics and Hospitals

Gyeonggi Province will conduct inspections at 180 medical clinics and hospitals (excluding general hospitals) within the province from October 19 to October 30, in order to prevent secondary damages such as infections and environmental pollution caused by the improper storage and disposal of "medical waste" by these facilities.

Medical waste refers to waste generated at healthcare institutions and similar facilities that must be specially managed due to the risk it poses, such as the potential to cause infections. Representative examples include human tissues, excised materials, discarded vaccine vials, syringe needles, and gauze stained with blood.

The authorities plan to analyze the waste discharge and reporting history, as well as records of administrative sanctions imposed by local governing bodies for past violations of the Waste Management Act, in order to identify and select facilities with a high likelihood of violations for intensive inspection.

Poster for Intensive Crackdown on Proper Disposal and Mixed Discharge of Medical Waste in Gyeonggi Province

The main inspection items will include: ▲ the illegal disposal of medical waste without reporting, or discharging it mixed with general waste; ▲ improper storage of waste, such as not using designated containers, exceeding storage periods, lacking refrigeration facilities, or disposing of waste in toilets or sinks; and ▲ selling or improperly managing expired pharmaceuticals. Violators may face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

Kwon Moon-joo, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police, stated, "Medical waste from clinics and hospitals includes infectious medical waste that could cause infections, so it must not be mixed with general waste and must be strictly managed by being stored in dedicated containers. Illegal medical waste disposal is directly linked to environmental pollution and the health of residents, so we will thoroughly crack down on illegal acts through this intensive inspection and create a medical environment where residents can feel safe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.