Each and every health center, nursing home, hospital, pathological centers and any other medical facility generating biomedical waste in Jharkhand now has to comply with the disposal norms. The Central Pollution Control Board guidelines on this are all set to coming into force and would be implemented through QR code based technique.
The system being implemented comes into force across the State from April 1 and is eyeing to cover over 500 such facilities where any sort of treatable biomedical garbage is generated. The medical facilities would have to register and report about the waste generated through QR code, weigh the garbage and dispatch that to the disposal plants. Before getting disposed off, the biomedical waste would be measured again to ascertain the actual amount.
All the data of any particular health point would be uploaded online which can be monitored anytime by the Government agencies, the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) and common public. “The State Government has made the Health Department as nodal agency for that. We are organising a workshop of all the medical institutions and health centers, private or public, just after Holi where they would be provided information about making the system operational. The App based QR code system would come into force from April 1,” JSPCB Chairman AK Rastogi told The Pioneer.
A recent study conducted by Center for Science and Environment (CSE) found that at least 40 per cent of biomedical waste generated in the State goes untreated. 42 per cent hospitals of the State do not follow even the basic segregation guideline. In fact, just 52 per cent of the hospitals have their yellow containers distinctly marked as containing bio-hazard waste. 79 per cent hospitals transport their waste in open containers, which increases the risk of spreading infection.
“Our aim is to institutionalise the system of biomedical waste treatment. With this we can keep a close eye on every medical center considering number of beds there and amount of waste originating. Entire journey of the waste from origin to the safe disposal would remain under watch. This would inculcate a healthy habit among the hospital operators and their acts can come under direct public glare in order to generate awareness with the SOPs,” said a senior official of the Health Department.
The JSPCB on the part of disposal facility has to come up with five biomedical waste disposal units to be run under private entrepreneurs. “Two such units are already operational at Lohardaga and Ramgarh. Another facility is coming up in Ramgarh along with one at Sindri and Jamshedpur,” added the Board Chairman.
To begin with, the JSPCB would not make the non-compliance on the App penal but none of the institution would have the luxury to duck it. The authorities also feel that it would take a month time or so to bring everyone on board but once it is done the grey area would be streamlined for the larger benefit of the people.
