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VeronEvery day, residents from different sectors of the Verón-Punta Cana district complain and denounce the piles of garbage and improvised dumps in the neighborhoods, especially on the district's main street. Residents claim to be surrounded by garbage, and various videos and images support these complaints. They fear that decomposing solid waste will become a source of disease.
The garbage truck can spend up to 20 days without passing through some communities, causing the proliferation of pests, bad smells and contamination of the air, soil and water, which represents a risk to public health.
Samuel Cueto, director of the Verón Municipal Hospital, said that where there is an accumulation of garbage there is an increase in rats and other polluting elements that, when washed away by the rain, are stepped on by children, who then take the contamination home, which increases gastrointestinal illnesses.
“The main causes of gastrointestinal diseases are contaminated water and contaminated food, which are directly associated with the accumulation of garbage. In this sense, when there is garbage accumulation, the hospital receives more sick children with gastrointestinal conditions,” Cueto said.
He also stressed that a person who lives in an unhealthy environment with a lot of garbage sees his immune system weakened by constant exposure to sources of infection. “The flies that are generated in solid waste land on food, transmitting waterborne diseases.”
SUGGESTIONS
The provincial director of Health, Víctor Rodríguez Núñez, stated that, if there is concern regarding garbage collection, the population should contact the Verón-Punta Cana District Council, which is responsible for this task. “We, as the Ministry of Public Health, intervene when pests such as rats and insects appear, and we provide rat poison to eliminate them, since they are very harmful,” he explained.
Both Rodríguez Núñez and Cueto agreed that rains aggravate the problem, as they spread rat urine, which can cause leptospirosis in people who step on it. Rodríguez stressed the importance of eliminating rats not only in areas with accumulated garbage, but in any home or lot.
«The accumulation of rubbish can cause numerous health problems, including bronchopulmonary disorders. In addition, the stench and waste attract various insects, not only mice, but also cockroaches and others. These insects can move from one place to another, aggravating the situation. It is also extremely dangerous and prohibited to burn rubbish, as this aggravates respiratory problems. In short, the improper accumulation of waste constitutes a serious health risk,» he said.
Dr. Joseph Amarante, director of the Primary Care Unit of Verón, said that, as a measure to avoid the accumulation of solid waste in the surroundings of UNAP, they have a policy of daily garbage collection.
“The most common diseases associated with the lack of garbage collection are those transmitted by vectors, such as rats and mosquitoes, which can carry leptospirosis, dengue, chikungunya and malaria. If waste reaches water sources, it can also cause digestive diseases. Burning garbage can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma attacks or pneumonia,” explained Amarante.
He added that proper waste management must include the correct disposal of solid materials by citizens, separating biological waste from non-biological waste and recyclable waste from non-recyclable waste, in conjunction with local governments, who must collect waste in a timely manner.
“CPN Verón is fully prepared to collaborate in solving these problems, which will only be resolved through collaboration and ongoing education,” concluded Amarante.
He said that the hygiene guidelines to follow today are the same as those of 50 years ago. If we want to do something, let's start by taking responsibility as citizens for appropriate disposal of covered tanks, a town hall with trucks, day and night routes, companies sorting and recycling.
Amarante concluded by saying that there is no problem without a solution, and addressing this situation requires community participation, which must be constantly educated through the media and through a regime of consequences.