Posers raised on disposal of bio-med wastes in State
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 19 2013: Questions have been raised on improper disposal of bio-medical wastes in the State, which are sure to cause health hazard of a far greater magnitude if no corrective measures were not taken up while there is still time.

Without having furnished with necessary equipments to incinerate bio-medical wastes, a private firm called "Rural Multipurpose Development Organization (RMDO)" has been collecting huge pile of bio-medical wastes from various private hospitals and clinics in the State on daily basis and simply burned them down at Samurou in Imphal West district.

There are certain norms and guidelines framed by several international and national bodies for incineration of bio-medical wastes in a non-hazardous manner.

disposal of bio-medical wastes

However, the people of the State have been put at risks due to the selfish motive of a private firm, which has collected money for disposal of such bio-medical wastes in a hazardous manner.

The bio-medical wastes released from hospitals, clinics, pathological laboratories, blood banks and other research institutions should be disposed properly according to the Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.However, the manner of incinerating bio-medical wastes by the private firm RMDO is quite surprising.

According to a reliable source, there are more than 600 healthcare institutions in the State, concentrated mainly in Imphal area.

These institutions are liable to be penalized under the Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 if they were found indulging in improper disposal of bio-medical wastes.

To ensure proper disposal of bio-medical wastes, the RMDO entered into agreement with several private hospitals and clinics by claiming that the firm has the necessary equipments and manpower for incineration of bio-medical wastes as per the Government rules.

The firm charges fees from the hospitals for disposal of their bio-medical wastes.

The managements of these private hospitals and clinics boast of strictly following the Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.But to their disappointment, Hueiyen Lanpao found out the RMDO simply collected the wastes from the hospitals and burned them at a place at Samurou.

On further look into the bio-medical waste disposal plant owned by RMDO at Samurou, the plant was found fenced all around with GI sheets without any signboard of the firm.

It is located just adjacent to a petrol pump.

Moreover, the compound was found locked with no one to look after the plant.

Peeping through the holes of the GI walls, the reporter of Hueiyen Lanpao who went there saw huge quantity of bio-medical wastes piled up inside the compound.

Normally, the hospitals segregate the bio-medical wastes in different coloured polythene bags as human anatomical waste, micro-biological waste, discarded medicine and psychotropic drugs, soil waste and solid waste.

But, all bio-medical wastes were found lying together on the ground inside that so-called disposal plant of RMDO.

There were ashes on the ground, obtained probably from burning of those wastes.

Further, no equipment for incineration of bio-medical wastes was found inside the compound.

A proper bio-medical waste disposal plant must have equipments such as autoclave, incinerator, shredder, etc in an area not less than one acre.

The resident in and around the plant must issue no-objection certificate before its commission.

Above all, Manipur Pollution Control Board has to give permission to start such disposal plant.

However, it is uncertain if the Pollution Control Board has given permission to RMDO to start the disposal plant.

On the other hand, some hospitals in Imphal area are disposing the biomedical wastes among other normal wastes at the dumping of Imphal Municipal Council thereby raising serious concern about the hazardous effects of biomedical wastes in the State.