Musavirr highlights an issue that is routinely ignored for now but is certainly going to be a major issue of concern some day
(Mr. Musavirr Wani, 28, was born in Srinagar and attened the Burn Hall School. He graduated from the Meerut University and joined the Kashmir Times as a reporter. Loves driving his car and surfing internet to seek out workshops and fellowships so that he can travel and present the true picture of Kashmir.)
Mis-management of bio-medical wastes in hospitals
Mismanagement of biomedical wastes in and around the hospitals in Kashmir valley continues to add to the pollution levels thereby creating problems for both the patients in the hospitals and people at large.
Officials at the helm of administration in these hospitals say that lack of enough funds and non-availability of related infrastructure is a major cause of the mess vis-…-vis the waste management in the hospitals here.
The lack of coordination between various government departments and the concerned wings within the health-care institutions is said to be a cause for non- implementation of rules regarding bio-medical waste management.
“The management of bio-medical waste management is a least priority in Srinagar hospitals. Personnel from areas such as housekeeping, laundry, kitchen and others with the institution should be involved in the waste management,” said a hospital employee who pleaded anonymity.
Sources in most of the hospitals said that facilities such as incinirators and STPs available with the government hospitals, more than often fail to serve their purpose due to lack of fuel and proper management.
Attendants of patients also share the blame in the sense that more than the required number of attendants often accompany every patient which far-exceeds the capacity limits consequently the production of waste gets enhanced.
“Doctors can play a vital role by educating para-medical staff and others about the importance of handling bio-medical and other wastes in a scientific manner,” say the experts.
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has already announced a list of recommendations for the improvement of waste management system like the one recommending segregation of bio-medical waste from other wastes. As per the PCB recommendations, the segregation should be done in the containers at the point of generation prior to its storage, treatment and disposal. The containers shall be labeled.
PCB further recommends that destruction of needles and syringes at source should not be kept stored beyond a period of 48 hours. The municipal body of the area shall pick up and transport segregated non-infectious waste generated in hospital and from the nursing homes, the PCB further says. It also recommends that separate vehicles with conspicuous-labeling need to be engaged for waste transportation. And before final disposal, infectious waste must be subjected to treatment with either heat or chemicals.