SHWETA KAMAT
shweta@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: With over 100 tons of biomedical waste been generated every month by over 30 private and government hospitals in Goa, the State government is now bound to set up Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWT) for the management and handling of bio medical waste of hospitals, which are currently inadequately equipped for its scientific treatment and disposal.
Since the CBWT guidelines make it mandatory to set up the facility at a distance of one km from the surface water body or 10kms from the human habitation, it would be difficult for State government to locate such place. Hence the facility would be set up in the nearest industrial estate, as permitted by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Though the proposal was moved by CPCB way back in 2006, after sitting on the matter for almost six years, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) in 2012 changed its stand on setting up the facility without any valid reasons. Government had awarded contract to P K Waste Management Services in 2006 to establish the facility.
However, CPCB in its new guidelines under Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, has directed all the States to set up the facility to reduce the adverse effect on health and environment that the bio-medical waste may pose.
Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) Chairman Jose Manual Noronha would attend two-day long meeting in Bangalore called by CPCB on February 21-22 to discuss the issue.
GSPCB is the regulatory authority for authorization of service providers or bio medical waste disposal that would be done as per the provisions of Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules of Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
“At present, the disposal is being carried out by the individual hospitals through incinerators installed by them,” Noronha told Herald. He said that on an average Goa generates 100 tons of bio-medical waste per month.
Chairman said that as per the new rules, one CBWTF has to be installed where the hospital bed capacity is upto 10,000.
Hence, it is mandatory for Goa to have one such facility that will have treatment facilities like incineration, autoclaving or microwaving, chemical disinfection, shredder, effluent treatment plant, washing and others.
“Installation of individual treatment facilities by small health care units requires comparatively high capital investment. In addition it requires separate manpower and infrastructure development for proper operation and maintenance of treatment system,” Noronha said.
Hospitals generate different kind of waste from their operation theatres, casualties and general and specialised wards.
Waste that is generated and needs to be scientifically treated and disposed off on a daily basis include bandages, cotton, soiled linen, needles, syringes, discarded or expired drugs, laboratory wastes.
