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Monday, September 26, 2011

Health centres must treat bio-waste: Govt

The environment ministry has notified new draft rules making scientifically treating medical waste a must for every health establishment.
The new rules to be called Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, scraps the earlier provision of making bio-medical waste rules
applicable only to institutions providing service to more than 1,000 patients a month.

Bio-medical waste rules 2011
"Every occupier or operator, irrespective of the number of patients being in services or the quantum of bio-medical waste generated is required to obtain the authorisation," the draft rules notified this week said.

The definition includes waste from animal, laboratories, microbiology and bio-technology, human anatomy and medicines. The rules also prohibit mixing of bio-medical waste with other forms of waste and it will have to be sent for treatment within 48 hours.

The rules clearly mention that every medical service provider will have to set up requisite bio-medical waste treatment equipment prior to the commencement of its operation or will have to make arrangements for treatment of bio-medical waste through an authorised common bio-medical waste treatment facility.

The bio-medical waste treatment facility will have to take approval of either the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) or the state pollution control boards.

The technology to be used in the facility should have approval of CPCB or environment ministry.
The rules makes operator of the bio-medical waste facility liable for action in case of any lapse or damage to the environment.

The new rules once notified will replace the bio-medical waste rules of 1998 and will cover persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat and dispose and handle bio-medical waste in any form.