BIOMEDICAL WASTE INCREASING ENVIORNMENTAL POLLUTION A THREAT TO SPREAD OF FATAL DISEASES BUT THE ARA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IS A MUTE SPECTATOR

ARA (RNI) Government and private hospitals and private clinics are throwing biomedical waste on roadside in the open almost everywhere in Bhojpur district and have not made any arrangements for the disposal of the biomedical waste.

Biomedical waste is being thrown on the nearby roads or on the side of the hospital premises itself right with the connivance of the concerned officers with impunity. Not to speak of common and ignorant people, the state of carelessness is such that the work of increasing pollution is being done continuously even by the intellectual class. The biomedical waste thrown in the open emits foul smell and also produces germs, bacteria that cause dangerous and fatal diseases which are quite dangerous for human life. Despite biomedical waste is not being disposed of by these institutions as the guidelines of the Medical Council.

Besides, the biomedical waste is sold to scrap dealers for the greed of money. Many private hospitals are dumping this waste in nearby drains and isolated places to avoid disposal fees.

The biomedical waste is causing environmental crisis. This not only spreads diseases but also contaminates water, land and air. According to the Central Government and the Medical Council of India, this is matter of death and cause fear of diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, infection and epidemic

In government and private nursing homes and clinics, used needles, glucose bottles, expired medicines, their wrappers, empty medicine bottles, used IV sets, gloves, X-ray films, cotton, bandages and other materials along with other rotten items scatters around. Ironically, the hospitals where people are cured from diseases, spread biomedical waste that causes deadly diseases.

Waste should be transported in closed vehicles. Mixed waste should be separated and disposed of as per the prescribed procedure. Instead of burning the biomedical waste, it should be recycled. Biomedical and Industrial waste should not be mixed with urban waste. Garbage bins should be placed at various places from where garbage should be collected regularly. Awareness programme should be organized for information about solid waste management. The process of picking up and dumping garbage by a person should be completely prohibited otherwise he or she is very much prone to infection. The biomedical waste should not be dumped at landfill site. If garbage has to be dumped at the landfill site, a layer of 10ml soil should be spread over it immediately after dumping the garbage and the hospitals and clinics should follow the rules of biomedical waste disposal.

As per the Biomedical Waste Rules, there is a provision of fine against the hospitals and clinics for dumping organic waste in the open. There is a provision of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for not taking measures to dispose of the waste. Even after this, if necessary measures are not taken, there is a provision of charging a fine of Rs. 5000 per day. The rules also made provision black, yellow and red coloured bags to be kept in hospitals and clinics as biomedical disposal bags. The foil of these bags is mixed with chemical that gets destroyed when burnt and unlike other polythene bags, it does not shrink on burning. Dry garbage, cotton, dirty bandages, plaster etc. are to be kept in the red bags whereas wet cloths, biopsy, waste of human body etc. are to be kept in the yellow bags and needles, blades, glass, bottles, injection etc. to be kept in the black bags. Along with Sadar Hospital in Bhojpur district, there is a Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in all the 14 blocks and there is one referral Hospital in Shahpur, Jagdishpr and Sandesh block each.

As per the rough estimate, over 300 small and big private hospitals and private clinics are being run at different parts of Bhojpur district some of them even run by quacks. They continuously throw biomedical waste on roadside whereas they doctors know very well what harm can be caused by these biomedical waste.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Leela Mishra says that biomedical waste is very dangerous and it should not be thrown in the open on the roadside. It should be disposed of as the rules. It will be investigated and strict action will be taken against the guilty persons.