The Hindu 01.09.2014
Dumping of bio-medical waste can cause disease outbreak: official
Rising instances of trucks from other states transporting waste to border districts
: Illegal dumping of construction debris and garbage has
been prevalent for years especially along the border-lying districts,
which has been the dumping ground for wastes from adjoining States.
However,
in recent years, this practice has acquired a dangerous dimension with
the dumping of bio-medical waste, hazardous enough to cause an epidemic,
says S. Elango, State president of Indian Public Health Association
(IPHA).
Waste materials from laboratories where
research was conducted on infectious diseases or those from hospital
wards that treated patients with contagious diseases, if dumped without
proper disposal near habitations, can get mixed with the water supply
sources.
This can cause a disease outbreak, he says.
There
had been several instances of bio-medical waste being dumped not only
in Coimbatore but in a few other border districts also by trucks coming
from other States. Scavengers who rummage through these wastes or
Municipal conservancy workers are at a huge risk of getting infected
with Hepatitis B and D, which can be fatal, says Dr. Elango, a former
Director of Public Health.
While asking the border
posts to step up scrutiny of all trucks was one possible solution, the
most effective way, he says, is to stringently enforce de-segregation of
wastes in all healthcare institutions.
Blanket ban
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) State
Youth Wing Secretary V. Eswaran says his party cadres have alerted the
authorities regarding vehicles illegally carrying bio-medical waste from
other States.
Calling for a new legislation with
stringent penal provisions to deter such acts, he says the fine amount
now was a paltry Rs. 1,000.
Another practice, he
says, is to use forged papers to transport bio-medical waste. The party
cadre alerted the police to a truck that was transporting hazardous
material to a non-existent firm in Salem.
“A blanket ban on entry of trucks carrying biomedical waste from other States is needed,” he adds.
IMA
A.K. Ravikumar, State Convener of Indian Medical
Association (IMA) Private Hospitals Board, says a common complaint was
that biomedical waste was being mixed with common waste. This is due to
domiciliary treatment by many patients who take insulin or dress wounds
by themselves or treat pet animals. They dump the waste such as syringes
and dressing material along with house waste.
The
IMA urged the Government to install separate biomedical waste collection
units in all street corners and sensitise the public to dispose the
waste accordingly.
Butchery and meat shops besides
chicken and fish stalls must also be brought under the scanner, he adds,
as their waste can spread infectious diseases.
The
IMA Private Hospitals Board periodically conducts training and awareness
programmes for paramedical staff and house keepers who handle
biomedical waste.