While the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has begun serving notices to various hospitals in Mumbai to implement the Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) Management and Handling Rules 2000, the hospitals in the city call for an external or internal authority in each hospital to monitor the issues related to bio medical management.

"We are doing our best to generate awareness on BMW management. Apart from regular awareness programmes, we conduct on-the-spot and periodical BMW management awareness programmes for nurses, doctors and class 4 employees. Since a hospital runs for all 24 hours, the work is divided into three shifts. Hence, it is not possible to monitor the doctors and nurses who are in charge of segregating the bio-medical wastes all the time. So there should be an authority, external or internal, to look after the whole issue," said, Dr Gita Nataraj, Convenor of the Infection Control Committee, KEM Hospital.

A week earlier HC had ordered MPCB to file notices against the hospitals that are flouting the BMW management rules. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run KEM Hospital was also asked to improve their performance within six to eight weeks.

"The segregation of BMW usually takes place during the usual check-ups or surgeries by the doctors/nurses concerned. Hence, a violation in segregating the whole thing point towards the negligence of this well educated section in complying with the rules set by the authorities," Dr Nataraj said. In this context, the demand to appoint a new internal/external authority is expected to help the situation improve.

Emphasising the need to reorganise the BMW management system, Dr Nataraj also pointed out the problems associated with disposing of the category no. 4 sharp wastes like syringes, needles, etc. "Since the existing disposal method takes a lot of time, the technicians who are handling the sharps are not sticking to the rules. The authorities should propose a better and less time consuming method to dispose of the sharps".