How to dispose of biomedical waste from COVID hospitals

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A team formed by the PCBA (Pollution Control Board, Assam) for the disposal of biomedical waste in COVID-19 hospitals in the city has mooted the hospital authorities to adopt a series of methods.

The team has found that the large number of water bottles in use in such hospitals have been a problem. To minimize the of use water bottles, the team has suggested the authorities to use electric water purifiers in hospitals so that a patient can use the same bottle a number of times.

If the installation of electric water purifier is a problem, then water bottles and plates used by patients can be autoclaved. However, all hospitals don't have this facility. In such cases, bottles and plates used by patients should be dipped into a sodium hydrochloride solution so as to disinfect them, pack them into a red bag and give them to common biomedical waste treatment facilities. In the event of waste of food, the team has suggested that such food has to be deep-buried after disinfecting them by dipping into sodium hydrochloride solution or bleaching power, a PCBA source said.

Improper disposal of biomedical waste has been an issue these days as a number of even used PPE kits were found lying here and there in Guwahati. The situation led the DGP of the State to issue a stern appeal to all concerned to adhere to proper disposal of PPE kits. 

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