The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) had directed all the healthcare establishments (both public and private) in the state to dispose of bio-medical waste in a safe manner. In this regard the PCB had asked all the hospitals, clinics, and laboratories to get registered with it.

In view of mushrooming healthcare establishments, laboratories and clinics the PCB is concerned over the growing pollution in the form of bio-medical waste, hence it has entrusted all the establishments to abide by the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and 1986 under the Environment (Protection) Act.

As per the bio-medical waste rules, it is the duty of every institution generating bio-medical waste to take all the steps to ensure that the hazardous biological waste is handled without any adverse effect to human health and the environment.

A few days back officials form PCB had inspected about 91 healthcare establishments in and around the city. The inspecting authorities had chosen both government and private establishments with bed capacities more than 100. In most of the cases these establishments were not complying with the biomedical waste rules and some of them are not even registered. The board had issued notices to 89 institutions and had asked them to comply with the provisions of the Act.

Last month the PCB had also conducted a workshop emphasizing the need of construction of Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)/Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for safe disposal of liquid waste generated from the hospitals, he added.

“It is our duty to protect the environment and public health by duly disposing the bio- medical waste in a safe manner for better reputation of the healthcare establishments both government and private hospital authorities,” said B S S Prasad, member secretary,  APPCB.

He explained that there are 15 Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTFs) operating in the state for treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste in a scientific manner and advised the Government and Private hospital authorities to make use of the facility systematically for safe disposal of the bio-medical waste. He also requested the co-ordination of stake holders for successful compliance of Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 and for protecting the healthy environment in the larger interest of public.

“Every occupier of an institution generating, collecting, receiving, storing, transporting, treating, disposing and/or handling bio-medical waste in any other manner, except such occupier of clinics, dispensaries, pathological laboratories, blood banks providing treatment/service to less than 1000 patients per month, shall make an application to the Prescribed Authority i.e., the APPCB for grant of authorization,” says Prasad in a statement.