Chennai Corporation initiates action against two hospitals for dumping medical waste in city bins

CHENNAI: The Greater

Chennai Corporation

has initiated action against two private hospitals for dumping

medical waste

like PPE kits and masks in corporation bins, said minister for municipal administration S P Velumani on Wednesday.

The minister said many hospitals had hired vendors and they had been dumping medical waste in the city bins for the past few days. The civic body had already raised a complaint with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). “They may be penalised to the tune of 17 lakhs after the

TNPCB

procedure is completed,” he said.

On Friday, TOI reported that a city hospital had dumped medical waste along with solid waste in bins on the Avvai Shanmugham Salai in Teynampet zone. The next day, the workers found similar bio-medical waste dumped in road side bins on Luz Church road by Chennai Meenakshi multispecialty hospital. The TNPCB issued notices to Apollo Hospitals on the Greams Road and Meenakshi Hospital after the civic body raised this complaint with them. TOI has the copy of the notices.

“We have given both hospitals seven days’ time to respond. Based on that, we will take it up with the board and levy environmental compensation on them,” said a TNPCB official.

The official added that blue and yellow bags should only be used to dispose of bio medical waste. Green bags are used to dispose of solid waste.

“We are not sure if this is the first time that they were disguising bio-medical waste as solid waste and disposing them in corporation bins or it has come out in the open only after the new contractor has taken over. We will issue a general instruction and conduct special drives to check on other hospitals as well,” said the official.

Deputy commissioner, health, Divya Darshini said that they were investigating the issue. “Based on the complaints, we will take action. If vendors are involved, we will take action against them as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the contractor and civic body’s solid waste management officials met hotel owners and other bulk waste generators to ensure waste is disposed properly and not dumped in bins.