Medical Waste Disposal Violations Discovered in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Cases of violations regarding medical waste management regulations have been identified in Tashkent, including the mixing of hazardous waste with household waste and its transport to landfills or placement in unauthorized locations, according to the Special Commission for the Implementation of Urgent Measures to Improve the Ecological Situation.

Inspections revealed that several medical institutions failed to separate hazardous waste from household waste. As a result, the waste was transported to landfills or dumped in undesignated areas.

According to the World Health Organization, 15% of medical waste is hazardous. Improper management of such waste can lead to the spread of diseases, poisoning, and environmental pollution.

In accordance with Presidential Resolution No. PP-263 dated 17 July 2024, the American company SAYAR LLC established the foreign enterprise Sayar Green. The company is implementing an investment project valued at US$115 million; however, the created mechanism is not fully operational because medical institutions are failing to hand over hazardous waste to the investor.

Two facilities for processing medical waste with a combined daily capacity of 12 tonnes have been installed in Tashkent. However, they currently receive only about 3 tonnes of waste per day, operating at 25% of their capacity.

During the first six months of 2026, a total of 3,239.05 cubic meters of medical waste was collected in the capital.

Among the specified medical institutions, the largest volumes of waste were generated by Clinical Hospital No. 16 with 1,795.40 cubic meters, Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 3 with 445.44 cubic meters, and the clinic of the Research Institute of Virology with 382 cubic meters.

In addition, service regulation violations were uncovered at the Republican Children's Center for Phthisiology and Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Diseases, the Tashkent City Branch of the Center for Dermatovenerology and Cosmetology, City Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1, the Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Phthisiology and Pulmonology, and the Skin and Venereal Diseases Hospital.

Appropriate measures are being taken against responsible individuals regarding the identified facts. The Special Commission and law enforcement agencies are conducting similar inspections in other regions of Uzbekistan.