Urban News

The Hindu 22.09.2009

Health institutes urged to segregate biomedical waste

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Few hospitals segregate biomedical waste in different coloured bags, based on the nature of each material and hazards it could pose, as prescribed under the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, said Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) A.S. Sadashivaiah.

Speaking at a general body meeting of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association here on Sunday, he said many hospitals failed to segregate and place human and anatomical wastes in yellow, sharp objects and tubing in blue or white, and discarded medicines and incinerator ash in black bags.

The KSPCB, which oversees biomedical waste treatment facilities in hospitals in the State, had submitted a report, following which the Lok Adalat of the Karnataka High Court directed the State Government to set up liquid biomedical waste treatment plants in its hospitals in the city.

Mr. Sadashivaiah said the KSPCB also oversaw biomedical waste treatment in 652 small nursing homes and hospitals which had less than 100 beds. Many of these institutions did not have facilities for biomedical waste disposal and destruction of sharp objects such as needles and surgical equipment.

The KSPCB, however, has devised a way to address the problem. “We have started a scheme,” Mr. Sadashivaiah said, “wherein a nursing home can pay one year’s fees and get authorisation for three years. Specialised firms dealing with biomedical waste disposal will regularly visit the authorised nursing homes/hospitals and take away the waste at a prescribed rate. Private hospitals are being motivated to subscribe to this scheme, which is now mandatory,” he said.

He said that once the small health institutions were covered, the KSPCB would cover 11,000 clinics and veterinary hospitals in the city.

Mr. Sadashivaiah said that except for districts such as Bangalore and Mysore, facilities for biomedical waste disposal were yet to improve. Although 23 districts had put in place mechanisms such as incinerators and places for deep burial of waste, they were not up to the prescribed standards. Six districts had no facilities at all, he said.

Hospitals should ensure responsible disposal of waste, he said.

Mr. Sadashivaiah said the KSPCB did not have adequate regulating and monitoring personnel. “There are 200 vacancies for such posts,” he said and added that they were being filled.

Police Commissioner Shankar M. Bidari said that the police had been directed to accept complaints of medical negligence, but not to initiate action without seeking expert advice.

The Hindu 28.08.2009

Govt. warns of strict action against plastic ban violators

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: Unable to strictly enforce the ban on use of plastic in the Capital and weed it out of markets and shopping malls, the State Environment Department has warned that strict action will be taken against violators.

As per the January 7 directive of Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor, use of plastic is forbidden in five-star and four-star hotels, hospitals with 100 or more beds (except for use of plastic bags as prescribed under the Bio-Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules, 1998), all restaurants and eating places with a seating capacity for more than 50 people, all fruit and vegetable outlets of Mother Dairy, shopping malls and small and large retail outlets. At places other than these, only bio-degradable plastic is to be used.

“It has been brought to our notice that plastic bags are still used in main markets, local shopping centres and in major or branded outlets/chain of stores,” says M. Dwarakanath of the Environment Department.

Violation, he adds, is happening on the pretext that the bags are more than 40 micros or that they are bio-degradable.

“This is in total disregard of the Delhi Government’s notification which clearly states that this is a violation. Hence we would like to clarify to all dispensers/users of plastic bags that no plastic bags can be used in main markets and local shopping centres and in major or branded outlets/chain of stores,” notes the warning issued by the Department.

The Department in its notice said only jute, cloth or recycled paper bags are to be used. Also, in other than the notified places, only bio-degradable/compostable bags complying with IS:BIS:17088 are to be used.

Vinod Jain of Tapas, a non-government organisation which has been heading the campaign against use of plastic in the Capital, said: “We had welcomed the move and later warned the Environment Department of the blatant violation of the notification. We need to have in place strict measures to ensure that the compliance rate is kept high to actually benefit from the ban. Rules need to be implemented well to bear fruit. Getting aggressive about enforcing the ban is also required in our preparations for hosting the Commonwealth Games next year.”