Chennai: Biomedical waste raises eyebrows

CHENNAI: In a claim that raises eyebrows of activists, 27 government hospitals in Chennai with a total of over 8,000 beds  claim they generate just 1,949 kg of bio-medical waste per day.

More surprising is that 14 other government hospitals in the city don’t maintain proper records, it is pointed out.

Bio-medical waste is one of the most hazardous wastes and if not disposed of or treated properly can have catastrophic consequences because of its potential for infection and also for its ingredients, including antibiotics, cytotoxic drugs, corrosive chemicals and radioactive substances.

From information gathered through RTI, it is strongly suspected there is pilferage of bio-medical waste from the major government hospitals.

For instance, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital having 2,720 beds claims to generate a paltry 238.67 kg of waste per day. Whereas, the ESI hospital at Ayanavaram, with 616 beds, said it is generating 308 kg of bio-medical waste daily.

Social activist Jawaharlal Shanmugam, who is fighting the case in National Green Tribunal here, said this is shocking.

“The hospitals have flawed the numbers. What is being projected is peanuts. The anatomical waste alone generated in these hospitals in Chennai would weigh a few tonnes considering the number of amputations done every day in accident cases,” he told DC.

The government hospitals claim that the average solid waste generated by one bed was 240 grams per day, which is in total contrast with Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) estimated waste generation of about one to two kg of solid wastes per person per day.

On Monday, the green tribunal directed TNPCB to compile information from two authorised common facilities near Thenmelpakkam village in Chengalpattu Taluk in Kancheepuram district and Chennakuppam in Sriperumbudur Taluk in Kancheepuram District to submit complete details on how much of bio-medical waste is being brought in from each hospital in Chennai, both government and private, according to the classification.

The case has been posted for February 1 for further hearing.

10 categories of biomedical waste

There are 10 categories of biomedical waste as per schedule-I of Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.

Healthcare facilities are required to treat the waste as per the methods prescribed in Schedule-I in compliance with the standards prescribed in Schedule-V.

In this regard health care facilities are required to provide requisite treatment and disposal facilities either individually or collectively within the time frame prescribed in the Schedule-VI.