ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s busiest public hospital in capital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences PIMS is tasked with safely disposing of 1,200 kilograms of hazardous medical waste, including human placentas from nearly 3,000 monthly deliveries. But as waste volumes continue to grow, the hospital’s disposal system is coming under increasing strain, forcing the hospital to outsource part of its daily biohazard waste.
The hospital administation said they are struggling to cope with growing volume of medical waste, including human placentas, as its incineration capacity has fallen short of daily requirements. PIMS generates approximately 1,200 kilograms of medical waste every day, while its two incinerators can safely dispose of only 1,000 kilograms, leaving a daily surplus of 200 kilograms that must be sent to an outsourced facility for disposal.
PIMS Deputy Executive Director Dr. Aneza Jaleel said the hospital conducts around 3,000 deliveries every month, which makes a large number of human placentas among other waste. She said all placentas are disposed of under strict biohazard safety protocols, but the increasing volume of waste has outpaced the hospital’s in-house disposal capacity.
Officials confirmed that the hospital is forced to outsource the disposal of approximately 200 kilograms of medical waste every day to ensure safe handling and prevent any risk to public health.
Responding to concerns, PIMS spokesperson maintained that the hospital’s medical waste management system remains fully secure and compliant with safety standards. However, the spokesperson emphasized the urgent need for a shared high-capacity medical waste incinerator outside Islamabad to support major healthcare facilities and address the growing burden of hazardous waste.
The situation shows mounting pressure on healthcare infrastructure, raising fresh questions about whether existing medical waste disposal facilities can keep pace with the increasing demands of one of Pakistan’s busiest public hospitals.
Last week, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Human Organ Transplant Authority (HOTA) have dismantled an alleged human placenta smuggling network operating from upscale neighborhoods in Islamabad, arresting three Chinese nationals and four Pakistani suspects.
The raids on properties in Sectors F-7/1 and E-11 uncovered a disturbing cache of fresh, dried, and processed human placenta, along with other suspected human organs and biological tissues stored in refrigerators and containers. Investigators allege the placenta was collected from hospitals in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar, transported to Islamabad for processing, and then disguised as sheep organs before being prepared for export to Vietnam and other countries, where it was allegedly destined for commercial use in the pharmaceutical industry.
The recovered material has been sent to PIMS for forensic examination to confirm its nature, while officials continue investigating the network’s operations and possible international links. Authorities also sought criminal proceedings under the Human Organs and Tissues Transplantation Act, 2010, as investigators work to identify additional suspects and determine the full scale of what they describe as an organized illegal trade in human biological tissues.
Chinese Nationals among seven held in Organ Smuggling Raid in Islamabad’s F-7
