Whip on labs, hospitals

Disposal of hazardous bio-medical waste

Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Nov 4: Hospitals, clinical laboratories and diagnostic centres in and around Guwahati were today instructed to adhere to the laid-down bio-medical waste magement rules so that there is no threat to the environment and human lives.

Days after The Sentinel reported about many hospitals in the State, including some in the city, flagrantly violating the waste disposal regulations, Additiol Deputy Commissioner Fakruddin Ahmed chaired a meeting of representatives of the hospitals, diagnostic centres and clinical laboratories at the DC’s conference hall here.

The ADC emphasized that every pharmacy and clinical laboratory should have provisions for ensuring proper disposal of bio-medical wastes.

The administration cautioned that random surprise inspections will be carried out to verify if the regulations were being followed, and strict action will be taken against violators.

Biomedical waste kept in a residential area has dangerous ramifications for the environment and human health.

According to Biomedical Waste (Magement and Handling) Rules, 1998 of India - bio-medical waste should be either destroyed in an incinerator or treated at common bio-medical waste treatment facilities (CBWTF) which function under state pollution control boards.

The entire Northeast has just one CBWTF - christened ‘Fresh Air’ - located at Panikheti in the outskirts of the city. Only 69 government and private hospitals are registered with it. Generally, a CBWTF caters to all hospitals within a radius of 150 km.