Ministry relaxes biomedical waste disposal rules
NEW DELHI: THE BIOMEDICAL WASTE GENERATION IN THE COUNTRY IS 484 TONNES PER DAY FROM 1,68,869 HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, OF WHICH 447 TONNES PER DAY IS TREATED
The environment ministry has extended deadlines for various provisions under the Bio-Medical Waste Management rules, 2016, to ensure that hospitals and clinics are not in violation of the rules.
“We do not want hospitals to shut down, we want to improve compliance,” Manoj Gangeya, a senior official at the ministry, said of the changes that were notified on Friday. The amendments extend the deadline for hospitals and clinics to phase out chlorinated plastic bags by a year, to March 27, 2019.
Biomedical waste includes syringes, needles, cotton swabs and vials, that may contain bodily fluids and spread infections. Chlorinated plastic bags are widely used to store biomedical waste but are difficult to dispose of with the rest of the waste. Incineration at lower temperatures may lead to release of carcinogens. The amended rules also give hospitals and clinics one more year to implement a barcoding system that helps track what kind of waste is generated and how it is disposed of.
The total biomedical waste generation in the country is 484 tonnes per day from 1,68,869 hospitals and clinics, of which 447 tonnes per day is treated, according to official data. However, experts said this was an underestimation as there was little systematic tracking of biomedical waste generation.
“The new biomedical waste management rules will change the way the country used to manage it earlier. Under the new regime, the coverage has increased and also provides for pre-treatment of lab waste, blood samples, etc. It mandates barcode system for proper control,” then environment minister, Prakash Javadekar said when releasing the new rules in 2016.
Officials and activists working on ground say implementation has been a challenge. A senior official at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),who was not authorised to speak to media, said some stakeholders argued there are no alternatives to chlorinated plastic bags. Blood bags have been exempted because there is no other way to store blood, the official said.
“In the case of chlorinated plastic bags, ensuring the availability of non-chlorinated plastic bags has been a major roadblock with a lack of supply from industry to meet the demand from health care facilities across the country,” Kavita Yadav of NGO Toxics Link said.
Implementing the barcoding system is hindered by the absence of internet connection in distant places, said Yadav. The government has also provided an extension of two years for hospitals and clinics to upload annual reports on their websites containing details of biomedical waste generation and disposal.
Yadav said allowing use of puncture-proof and leakproof plastic containers for glass waste is a positive development. Field inspections had shown that use of cardboard was inconvenient as it was prone to fungal infection and rotting, she said.
Some stakeholders have argued that hasty implementation of rules would lead to increase in health care costs for the poor, said a ministry official aware of the consultations.