Biomedical waste surrounds civil hospital

LUDHIANA: Posing a grave danger to the life of city residents, the civil hospital has been found guilty of openly violating rules laid down for management of biomedical waste. A walk alongside the medical facility exposes how little the health authorities think about the hazards of the toxic garbage that lies strewn around the place.
Biomedical waste means any litter that is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals.With a view to control the indiscriminate disposal of hospital or biomedical waste, the Union ministry of environment and forest had issued a notification under Environment (Protection) Act, better known as the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, according to which such rubbish must not be mixed with other waste. Rather, it needs to be segregated into labelled containers or bags at the point of generation, prior to its disposal.
But the health department that is entrusted with the job of safeguarding the residents from diseases is itself ignoring this vital law.
A cursory visit at the local civil hospital shows the apathy of this vital department. Biomedical waste like tubes, disposable gowns, masks, scrubs, disposable tools, medical gloves, wound dressings, blood, materials made of glass and plastic pipes, syringes and needles are scattered abundantly and carelessly.
Vikramjeet Singh Pali, who has been attending on a sick relative at the hospital for the past few days, said, ‘‘Instead of disposing waste in a proper manner, the hospital staff is throwing it in the open. The hygiene is so poor that it’s difficult to even breather.’’
Talking to TOI, chief medical officer Harvinder Singh denied that waste was not being properly disposed of. ‘‘However, it’s possible that the staff is showing negligence in the matter,’’ the CMO added.
Law Says
Biomedical waste means litter that is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals. With a view to control the indiscriminate disposal of hospital or bio medical waste, the Centre had issued a notification under Environment (Protection) Act, according to which rubbish must not be mixed with other waste