Disposal of bio-medical waste to be outsourced

The Tribune , Monday, April 25, 2005
Correspondent : Ruchika M. Khanna
Panchkula, April 24

The district health authorities have decided to outsource the disposal of bio-medical waste generated from General Hospital, community health centres (CHC), primary health centres (PHC) and dispensaries in the district.

The Haryana Pollution Control Board had recently notified four private companies for the disposal of bio-medical waste all over Haryana. With the cost of running the incinerator at General Hospital running into several thousands, it has been decided that the disposal of hazardous bio-medical waste generated from General Hospital, CHCs, PHCs and dispensaries be outsourced to one of the private companies notified by the Pollution Control Board.

On an average about 250 kg of bio-medical waste is generated from the government hospitals/dispensaries daily. While 150 kg of bio-medical waste on an average is generated at General Hospital, Sector 6, 40 kg of waste each is generated from the CHCs at Kalka and Raipur Rani, while 3.500 kg of waste is generated at the seven PHCs in the district. Other than this, about 400-450 kg of waste is generated from the 150 odd private nursing homes/hospitals and clinics in the district.

It may be noted that an incinerator was installed at General Hospital here almost eight years ago. Initially, the incinerator was used for the disposal of all hospital waste, but later it developed a snag and remained defunct for several months. It was repaired again and functions for half an hour daily. The incinerator does not have the air pollution control device (because it is expensive at Rs 25 lakh), thus releases a lot of toxic gases in the air when it operates. Though the incinerator is installed within the hospital premises, its location is near the residential area in Sector 6, where the air pollution was being caused whenever the incinerator is operated.

The private medical practitioners, under the aegis of local chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have already tied up with a Karnal-based private service provider for the disposal of their biomedical waste, informs Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj, general secretary, IMA, Panchkula.

Dr Lalit Virmani, District Health Officer, Panchkula, when contacted, said he was also ensuring that the bio-medical waste was properly segregated at the hospital/CHC/PHC level, before it was disposed. “We have bought different coloured bins and trolleys, gloves, gum boots for the staff lifting the waste. The hazardous waste is just 15 per cent of the total waste. If this is not segregated and disposed with normal waste, then the entire waste becomes hazardous. The infected waste like soiled dressing, amputated/removed body parts, culture media is disposed off in black bags, catheters, glucose bottles in red bags, sharp instruments and syringes in blue bags and general waste in black bags”, he says.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Monday, April 25, 2005
 


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