The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, drew attention to the critical problem of medical waste management in places of detention and called for immediate unscheduled inspections. According to international standards, such waste is classified as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention and includes sharps, infectious materials, expired medicines and other potentially hazardous objects for health and the environment.
Lubinets noted that control over the storage, sorting, transportation and disposal of medical waste in Ukrainian detention facilities remains insufficient, despite the existence of legal requirements. During the monitoring of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), violations of environmental legislation were identified in the medical units of penitentiary and psychiatric institutions. Category B waste is often stored in unsuitable premises: without adequate ventilation, not separated and with easy access for unauthorised persons.
To resolve this situation, the Ombudsman appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to take measures to ensure state control over compliance with environmental standards in these institutions. The competent services have already started unscheduled inspections.
‘The issue is under my constant control, and I call for all necessary measures to be taken to ensure the safety of health and life of persons held in places of detention!’, said Dmytro Lubinets.
