The Hindu 22.02.2010
Biomedical waste management a must: experts
Staff Reporter
VIJAYAWADA: Segregation of medical waste should be undertaken consciously and the job must be handed over only to the trained staff, according to Pushpanjali and Vimala Thomas, doctors from Osmania Medical College and also resource persons, at an awareness and training programme on ‘Biomedical Waste Handling and Management Practices’ organised jointly by the A.P. Pollution Control Board, Indian Medical Association, Vijayawada and the Krishna district unit of the A.P. Nursing Homes Association here on Sunday.
Doctors and para-medical staff from various private and corporate hospitals in Krishna district attended the programme that was held at IMA Hall. Explaining the difference between normal wastes and medical wastes, the resource persons said negligence in dealing with managing medical wastes might cause health problems to everyone. “It may have an adverse effect on the health of patients being treated in the hospitals and may affect even those attending on the patients including doctors and the staff. Unsafe practices of waste management will affect public health too, if the bio-medical waste get mixed with the other domestic waste,” they explained.
Referring to the safe management practices, Dr. Pushpanjali and Dr. Vimala Thomas said bags of different colours were distributed to hospitals that signed agreement with biomedical waste management firms. “Human waste and items for incineration should be kept in yellow-coloured bag and the plastic waste must be kept in red-coloured bag. The blue bag is for needles, blades and other sharp equipment that has to be destroyed, whereas the black bag is for waste papers and other domestic wastes,” they explained. They advised the hospital staff to be extra careful while segregating the waste and wear gloves without fail during the segregation.
Environmental engineer from the APPCB’s zonal office G.S. Badrinath presided over the valedictory session. Environmental engineer from APPCB S. Venkateswarlu, V. Venkateswara Rao, proprietor of Safenviron System and others were present.
