VATIS UPDATE Article

The government of India has notified new bio-medical waste management rules, bringing in its ambit vaccination camps, blood donation camps, surgical camps or any other health-care activity which generates hazardous medical waste. The rules also make provisions for phasing out the use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags within two years and establishing a ‘Bar-Code System’ for bags or containers containing bio-medical waste for disposal. The bar-coding system will help the government agencies in proper monitoring of movement of waste containers from generating points to treatment facilities.

It also prescribes more stringent standards for incinerator to reduce the emission of pollutants in environment. At present, 484 tonnes per day (TPD) of bio-medical waste is generated from 1,68,869 health-care facilities (HCFs) in the country. Total 447 TPD out of 484 TPD of such waste is treated. There are 198 common bio-medical waste treatment facilities (CBMWF) in operation and 28 are under construction in different parts of the country. Under the new rules, state governments will have to provide land for setting up common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility.