Mentally Challenged Woman In Odisha Dons Discarded PPE Kit Triggering Panic

A ‘mentally-challenged’ woman wearing a discarded PPE kit was seen at Luhagudi Chhak in Mohana of Ganjapati district in Odisha.Due to lack of proper disposal mechanisms, discarded COVID19 waste like PPE kits, masks, gloves often end up in populated areas. And sometimes, they end up in this manner… This ‘mentally-challenged’ woman was seen at Luhagudi chak in Mohana of Ganjapati district in Odisha. She is wearing a discarded PPE kit. The woman in the used PPE kit was seen moving from one place to other with her activities triggering panic among locals. After the incident was reported, some medical professionals reached the spot & took off the PPE kit from her. Amid the deadly pandemic; masks, gloves, face shields and PPE kits have become our first line of defense. These protective gears have become essential and are being widely used and recommended. However, incident of this nature raise several questions regarding the management of these high-risk medical waste.