Most private and Government hospitals in Delhi are posing a “very serious threat” to human health and environment because they have failed to ensure proper disposal of highly infectious biomedical waste.
Having taken a dim view of the fact that 33 major hospitals in Delhi are violating the biomedical waste rules, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices, asking all these hospitals to set things right within four weeks or face action.
The NGT has instructed Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to initiate action against erring medical superintendents and directors if they fail to place the rules of disposal of biomedical waste. The team will again inspect these hospitals and file a status report by July 19, when the matter will be heard next.
A Joint Inspection Team of NGT said that 33 hospitals have failed to ensure proper disposal of highly infectious bio medical waste. The hospitals include AIIMS, Safdarjung, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Apollo, Batra, Holy Family, Moolchand, Ram Manohar lohia, GB Pant, lNJP, Kalawati, lady Harding Medical College and Associated Hospital, Sucheta Kriplani Hospital, Hindu Rao, Dr Bl Kapoor Memorial hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, Northern Railway Central hospital,Jaipur Golden, Dharamshila Cancer hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer hospital, Max Super Speciality hospital, Fortis, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital, Dr Hedgawar, Arogaya Sansthan, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar and ESI Hospital, Jhilmil and Rohini.
The team has inspected 28 hospitals and found violation of biomedical waste disposal. In its order dated May 22, 2013, the NGT said that after four weeks from the issuing of the order, joint inspection team of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) should inspect all 33 hospitals and submit a status report in regard to compliance of recommendations of inspection team as well as whether the collection and disposal of biomedical waste of these hospitals is in anyway likely to cause any health hazard.
Sources in the Government said that Health Minister Ashok Kumar Walia has held a high level meeting on this issue and directed the hospitals to comply the guidelines regarding biomedical waste.