Around 41,000 staff, including sanitary workers, have been trained for the purpose A STANDARD protocol on handling and safe disposal of biomedical waste will be adhered to in all the primary, secondary and tertiary care government hospitals in Tamil Nadu, said V K Subbu Raj, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu. Addressing a seminar on hospital administration at the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University here on Tuesday, Subburaj said waste disposal management was crucial in the administration of hospitals. Under safe waste disposal, about 41,000 staff, including sanitary workers in government hospitals, are being trained on safe disposal of bio medical waste. Following two pilot projects in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, a Standard Protocol on Waste Management has been evolved. This covers various stages including collection, storage, transportation and safe disposal of waste. The State Pollution Control Board (PCB) and Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society were consulted during the draft ing of the protocol. Stating that leadership qualities of those at the top had impacted the performance of hospitals, the Health Secretary said all primary health centres in the districts of Vellore, Tiruvallur and Kallakurichi were classic examples of leadership, motivation and training. Later, Subburaj told Express that the training programme on waste handling would be over by August adding that the protocol would be followed uniformly in all hospitals. A sum of Rs 6.66 crore has been set apart for the purchase of colour coded bins, aprons, needle destroyers and incinerators and Rs. 1.64 crore has been allotted for training out of a Rs 13 crore package for the implementation of safe hospital waste disposal programme.