Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management (ISHWM) is carrying out a research study to assess the impact of bio-medical waste management on hospital associated infections. The study is sponsored by WHO SEARO (World Health Organisation–South East-Asia Regional Office).

A multi centric intervention study is under progress at two government hospitals in Delhi and Bengaluru, started in September, 2013 and will be completed by November, 2015.

The main objective of the study is to understand the linkage between hospital associated infections and sound management of healthcare wastes, to carry out baseline survey of the existing situation of the hospital associated infections as well as the practices and procedures of health care waste management (HCWM) in the identified hospitals; to assess the level of compliance to the biomedical waste management rules; to conduct capacity building and awareness trainings for improving the knowledge and skills of the different categories of hospital staff; to improve and streamline the HCWM practices including compliance with hand hygiene practices among health care workers; to analyse hospital associated infections and average length of stay (ALS) after the intervention period of one year.

Prof Ashok K Agarwal, president of ISHWM and dean of IIHMR, New Delhi, said “The study was started to observe the impact of biomedical waste in hospital associated infection, it is a 2½ years study and we have chosen government hospitals as the risk of hospital associated infections is high in government hospitals. In addition to finding ways in reducing the infections, we are also finding how to reduce the length of stay of the patients in the hospital, as this will benefit the hospital as well as the patients.”

He further added “We thought of hospital associated infections because the UN sponsored "Basel Convention" has identified health care waste as the second most hazardous after radioactive waste. And this study is to find out how we can reduce the risk of nosocomial infection and come up with a guideline for hospital waste management.”

ISHWM is a registered body of professionals to address the issues and concerns of hospital waste at the national level, and to facilitate, advocate, undertake research activities on issues of hospital waste management and eco-friendly disposal.

The government of India has published a gazette notification on bio-medical waste management on July 20, 1998 making all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose or handle medical waste in any form responsible for handling the medical waste without any adverse effects to human health and the environment.

It is mandatory for various hospitals and health institutions to implement the bio-medical waste management rules. The rules came into effect in the beginning of December, 1999, and all hospitals were to implement these rules not later than December 2002 depending upon the bed strength of the hospital. However a proper healthcare waste management at the hospitals and other healthcare facilities is yet to be established to the complete satisfaction of the rules.