PRACTICES OF BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN A DISTRICT GOVT.

HOSPITAL IN SIRSA, HARYANA (INDIA)

Dr. Jaideep Kumar BAMS, MPH (Master in public health) , Panjab University, Chandigarh

(INDIA).

Abstract:

Medical waste is now recognized as a major public health hazard. According to World Health

Organization, each year half a million people globally die due to infections such as Hepatitis B,

and C, HIV and hepatocellular cancer transmitted through unsafe healthcare practices. There is

no information as to what component of this figure comprises healthcare workers. There are also

alarming disclosures about used medical devices and other items getting recycled and repacked

by unscrupulous traders in countries such as ours. This happens when the hospitals do not take

adequate steps to disinfect and mutilate the medical waste as required under the law. Despite the

statutory provision of Biomedical Waste Management, practice in Indian Hospitals has not

achieved the desired standard even after ten years of enforcement of the law. Biomedical waste

has become a serious health hazard in many countries, including India. Careless and

indiscriminate disposal of this waste by healthcare establishments and research institutions can

contribute to the spread of serious diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS (HIV) among those who

handle it and also among the general public. In view of this, the present study on Practices of

bio-medical waste management was carried out in a General Hospital Sirsa, a Govt. District

Hospital of Haryana, in North India. This hospital is a 100 bedded hospital with latest facilities.

The Institute has a work force of 15 doctors, 30 nurses,15 sweepers ,24 ward servants and other

support staff. The study is based on interviews of the staff involved in the biomedical waste

management practices and observation of the biomedical waste management practices. The

present study pertains to the biomedical waste management practices at General Hospital. The

study shows that infectious and non-infectious wastes are dumped together within the hospital

premises, resulting in a mixing of the two, some of which are then disposed of with municipal

waste at the dumping sites in the city. All types of wastes are collected in common bins placed

inside and outside the Hospital. For disposal of this waste the hospital depends on the generosity

of the Synergy waste management (P) ltd, whose employees generally collect it from the hospital

daily excluding Sunday. The hospital does not have any treatment facility in working condition

for infectious waste. The laboratory waste materials are disposed of directly into the municipal

sewer without proper disinfection of pathogens. The major part of bio-medical waste is deposited

inside the hospital building in bins for further transportation to BMWM plant Hissar for disposal.

The other small part of bio-medical waste was dumped with municipal waste outside the hospital

building. Some parts of disposable plastic items are segregated by the rag pickers from the

municipal bins and dumps inside the hospital campus. The open dumping of the waste makes it

freely accessible to rag pickers who become exposed to serious health hazards due to injuries and

infections from sharps, needles, other types of material used when giving injections and other

BMW. The results of the study demonstrate the need for strict enforcement of legal provisions

and a better environmental management system for the disposal of biomedical waste in the

General Hospital Sirsa, Haryana(India).