News
"Bio-Medical Waste Management in India" new blog released by Asst. Prof Anjali Dixit
04 Jun 2021
Main Content: The current pandemic situations have suppressed many through hard times. Despite standing and fighting against this lethal virus, the planet is also facing the problem of disposing of bio-medical waste. Comprehending this threatening condition Asst. Prof Anjali Dixit showcases her new blog Bio-Medical waste management in India: COVID-19 Situation. The entire blog is mentioned below.
Blog- Bio-Medical waste management in India: COVID-19 Situation
About the Blog:
This blog tells its readers the drawbacks of such harmful compilation and suggests different measures to control or recycle it.
Bio-Medical waste management in India: COVID-19 Situation
2020 & 2021 is remembered for the pandemic Covid-19 and its impact on human kinds. Although Covid- 19 does not affect everyone in the same way. Several reasons that are why various groups of human beings affected differently. Although, the environment breathed fresh during the Covid- 19 lockdown. But, the primary concern of disposal of biomedical waste is questionable in India, even worldwide.
What is biowaste?
According to the World Health Organization, biowaste includes waste generated by health care activities consists of a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, blood, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical devices, diagnostic samples, and radioactive materials.
In June 2007, a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Geneva, held with the core principles for achieving safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste were developed.
Biowaste management in India
During this Covid- 19 situation, the Central Pollution Control Board of India released guidelines under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 to ensure that the waste explicitly generated during testing of people and treatment of patients of Covid-19 is disposed of scientifically.[1]
Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016
In India, Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 is the only legislation that deals with bio waste's disposal.
Bio-medical waste categorizes into four categories as per the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. It is generated from the health care facility into four categories based on the segregation pathway and color code. Various types of biomedical waste are further assigned to each one of the categories as mentioned below[2]:
- Yellow Category: In this category included given below wastes
(a) Human Anatomical Waste
(b) Animal Anatomical Waste
(c) Soiled Waste
(d) Expired or Discarded Medicines
(e) Chemical Waste
(f) Chemical Liquid Waste
(g) Discarded linen, beddings, mattresses contaminated with blood or body fluid.
(h) Microbiology, Biotechnology, and other clinical laboratory waste
- Red Category: This category consists of the wastes generated from disposable items such as bottles, tubing, intravenous tubes and sets,
urine bags, catheters, syringes that come without needles, and fixed needle syringes and vacationers' needles cut and gloves also includes in it.
- White Category: Needles,
needles from needle tip cutter or burner, syringes with fixed needles, blades, scalpels, or any other contaminated sharp object that may cause puncture and cuts. This includes both used, discarded, and contaminated metal sharps are called Waste sharps.
- Blue Category: In this category included given below wastes
(a) Glassware
(b) Metallic Body Implants
Monitoring of implementation
Under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 given below, authorities are considered as the monitoring agencies:
In the country, once a year Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change shall review the implementation of the rules, 2016
- Through the State Health Secretaries and CPCB & SPCBs.
- State Government shall constitute District Level Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of District Collector or District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner or Additional District Magistrate to monitor the compliance of the provisions of Rules, 2016 in health care facilities.
- Its report was submitted to the State Advisory Committee once in six months. The District Level Monitoring Committee and State Advisory Committee proposed to State Pollution Control Board for taking further necessary action.
- The District Level Monitoring Committee shall comprise of District Medical Officer or District Health Officer, representatives from SPCB,
- Public Health Engineering Department, local bodies or municipal corporation
- Indian Medical Association, a typical bio-medical waste treatment facility registered NGO working in the field of bio-medical waste.
By
ANJALI DIXIT
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
FACULTY OF JURIDICAL SCIENCES, RAMA UNIVERSITY, KANPUR