Bio-medical waste: Small dispensaries a worry source for PMC
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17/06/2008
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Indian Express (Mumbai)
City incinerates 1 tonne bio-medical waste a day Nearly one tonne of bio-medical waste is generated and disposed of in Pune each day. While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has outsourced the activity to a private firm Sun Enviro Limited to collect the waste and dispose it at the incineration facility at Kailash crematorium, efforts are now underway to woo over 6,000 small dispensaries to join the scheme. According to Piyush Solanki, assistant general manager of Sun Enviro, "so far, only 250 dispensaries and clinics have been registered.' Dr D D Chandakkar, Deputy Health Officer, PMC, said that meetings have been held with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other peripheral organisations to encourage the dispensaries to dispose their medical waste in the centralised incineration facility. The PMC, perhaps, is the first civic body to have started the centralised incineration facility and outsourced the activity to a private agency in 2001. Then known as Image India, the firm had held meeting with several hospitals and till date a total of 530 hospitals dispose their bio medical wastes via this facility. A total of 530 hospitals, nine blood banks, 115 pathological laboratories and 250 dispensaries and clinics generate at least one tonne of bio-medical waste every day which is collected by the firm at 250 collection points in the city. "We have a timetable and have requested hospitals to send their waste at a specific time at the collection points. The vehicles then collect the waste and transport it to the Kailash crematorium. There are three incinerators with a total capacity of disposing 300 kg waste per hour, says Solanki. Barring Ruby Hall Clinic and Bharati Vidyapeeth hospital that have their own incineration facility, most of the large hospitals are part of this scheme. However, the worry source is the smaller dispensaries, points out Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar, secretary of the Pune unit of the IMA. We have asked the PMC to levy a fine if the dispensaries or other hospitals and nursing homes do not join and comply with the directives of the Bio Medical Waste (Handling and Regulation) Act, he said. "We will appeal to all doctors to adhere to the provisions of the Act to create a better environment,' Agharkhedkar said. At present, hospitals and nursing homes are charged Rs three for the bio medical waste generated per bed on a daily basis. While dispensaries may not generate waste in terms of quantity, however, they can collect the waste generated after two days, said Chandakkar. Meanwhile, the PMC has given itself a deadline of July 31 to ensure that more dispensaries join the scheme.