Jagran correspondent, Patna. Clear guidelines have been set by the Central and State Government regarding disposal of medical waste, but these rules are not being followed seriously in the capital Patna. A medical waste disposal plant has been set up in Ramchak Bairia to scientifically dispose of a large part of the medical waste generated in government and private hospitals.
It is being operated by M/s Sangam in PPP mode. On an average, two and a half tonnes of medical waste is reaching here every day. It is being disposed of through scientific method. According to the data of Pollution Control Board, about two and a half tonnes of medical waste is generated every day in Patna. It is mandatory to take service from an authorized agency for its disposal, but there are more than four hundred and fifty hospitals and clinics in the capital which first joined the medical waste disposal service and then stopped the service.
Now, there is a risk of AMR due to open disposal of waste from these centres. Apart from this, a medical waste dumping point has also been made in IGIMS, where the waste just keeps lying. Due to this, there remains a risk of infection. More than 1300 hospitals and clinics, more than half of them are out of the rules.
According to the Pollution Control Board, about 1300 hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and dental clinics are registered in the capital. Out of these, about four hundred and fifty institutions have stopped their services due to not taking medical waste disposal service, while in the remaining places too, the rules are being partially followed.
At the same time, a total of about 2500 health institutions are registered in Patna, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, Nalanda and Buxar districts, in which a large number of medical waste management systems are said to be weak. Medical waste is becoming a major reason for the increase in AMR.
Experts say that lack of proper disposal of leftover and expired antibiotics in homes, medical waste from hospitals and untreated drug-mixed water flowing from pharmaceutical factories are becoming major reasons for anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
This waste and chemical residues mix with water and reach the human body in the form of drinking water or through air, due to which the effect of medicines reduces and the risk of infection increases. According to experts, the weak policy of garbage disposal in hospitals is making this problem more serious. Pollution Control Board sent a letter.
In view of this serious situation, Bihar State Pollution Control Board has sent a letter to the district administration asking them to ensure strict compliance with the rules related to medical waste disposal. The council has also recommended action against hospitals and clinics without salvage services. What experts say
Health experts say that under the Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, it will be mandatory for every health institution to segregate, collect and dispose the waste through an authorized agency. It is important to take the medicines left in the houses to the designated collection centers instead of throwing them in the general garbage. The reality came out in the local investigation.
Investigation of many government and private hospitals in the district revealed that at many places the waste is still not being separated into yellow, red and blue bins, nor have the employees been trained for this. Due to this, there remains a risk of spreading infection.
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