The Hindu          25.07.2014

Hospitals, nursing homes cautioned on handling biomedical waste

S. Ram Ganesh, Department of Microbiology, KAPV Government Medical
College, addressing a gathering of doctors got up by IMA on handling
biomedical waste in Tiruchi on Thursday.— PHOTO: A. MURALITHARAN

All hospitals and nursing homes in the city have to
strictly comply with the Bio Medical Waste (Management and Handling)
Rules, 1998 or face penal action, City Health Officer S. Mariappan
cautioned on Thursday.

Issuing a stern warning to
hospitals and doctors in the wake of recent instances of bio medical
waste being found mixed with general solid wastes at some hospitals in
the city, Dr. Mariappan said the corporation, as the local health
authority, had powers to proceed against hospitals for violations under
the Indian Penal Code and the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act.

Addressing
doctors at an urgent meeting convened by the Indian Medical Association
in the city, Dr. Mariappan said the corporation would sustain the
recent drive taken up to ensure proper disposal of biomedical waste by
hospitals. The drive was necessitated after biomedical waste, including
human anatomical waste, was found at the Ariyamangalam garbage dump.

Twenty
hospitals were inspected and police complaints filed against five of
them for violations. First Information Reports had been filed on two
complaints.

Dr. Mariappan said it was the duty of
doctors to ensure that bio medical waste generated in their hospitals or
nursing homes were properly segregated and disposed through the common
treatment facility and suggested that every hospital had a nodal medical
officer to supervise the process.

There was a
misconception among doctors that only the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control
Board could initiate action against them for violations. “We can apply
to the Magistrate to close your premises under the provisions of TN
Public Health Act. We have so far refrained from invoking the provisions
of the Act, but would do so if hospitals failed to ensure proper
disposal of bio medical waste,” he said.

When some of
the doctors complained that one common treatment facility was not
adequate, Dr. Mariappan said it was set up as per scientific norms.
Complaints in this regard could be sent to the TNPCB and the
corporation, he said.

He clarified that clinics
handling only out patients could segregate and hand over their
biomedical waste to nearby hospitals for disposal.

Alternatively,
the corporation was willing to provide a common space for the IMA to
store biomedical waste from clinics before transported the same to the
treatment facility.

The corporation has issued a
circular to hospitals and would soon circulate a set of do’s and don’ts
on handling bio medical waste, he said.

K.S.
Devanathan, president, IMA, Tiruchi, said paramedical personnel of city
hospitals were briefed on handling bio medical waste ahead of the
meeting.

• IMA organised a meeting of doctors with Health Officer
• Clinics can send biomedical waste to nearby hospitals