Disposal of biomedical waste poses a major challenge in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Proper disposal of the biomedical wastes (BMW) generating from the healthcare facilities - hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres - has turned out to be a major challenge in the state.  Owing to lack of proper monitoring and regulation, hazardous bio-medical wastes are mixed with the non-hazardous waste, making the entire waste hazardous. The wastes need to be collected, segregated and stored properly before their transportation to the common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBMTF). Hence, many a times, the hazardous treatment apparatus such as needles and syringes and cytotoxic drugs are seen in the garbage dump in and around the hospitals or regular garbage dumps in the city.

Vizag is at more risk than other districts as the generation of the biomedical wastes is high here with setting up of advanced hospitals and many clinics rapidly and drawing people from other neighbouring states as well for treatment. According to a report released recently by Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control board (APPCB), 20 per cent (1,700 kg) of the total bio-medical waste (8,415 kg) being collected and treated in the state every day, is from Vizag.

“Different coloured bags — yellow, red, blue/white and black should be kept at the healthcare facilities according to the category of the bio-medical waste. However, be it hospital staff or sanitation workers, they don’t dump the wastes in the right bin. For which the staff collecting the wastes from hospitals carry high chance of getting infected,” said a doctor from a government hospital.  Moreover, the diagnostic centres are not disposing of the hazardous wastes properly in the city.

APPCB (Vizag) environment engineer R. Lakshmi Narayana said the common bio-medical waste treatment facility on the city outskirts at Kappuluppada has a capacity to incinerate 5,000 kg waste everyday. The bedded hospitals have to pay Rs 5 per day to avail the waste treatment facility. Ironically, the CBMTF, which should ensure that the wastes are disposed of properly is also violating BMW (Biome-dical waste) rules. Of the nine CBMTF in the state, two were issued notice for flouting BMW rule in 2015. Environmentalists opine that major hospitals should also set up sewerage treatment plant so that the chemicals ensuing from various laboratories and surgery wards could be treated properly before their release.