BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT: AN EMERGENT ISSUE IN EASTERN INDIA

Abstract

Biomedical waste (BMW)is generated at various places viz., hospitals, nursing homes, maternity homes, basic level health care centres, immunization centres, diagnostic centres, blood banks, health camps, blood donation camps, institution laboratories, doctors’ chambers, pharmacies and even households. All these sources come under the purview of Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998. Efforts towards safe and proper management of biomedical waste in Kolkata date back to the 1990s, even prior to the introduction of the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998. Dept. of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Kolkata took initiative towards this through several projects. With the introduction of the BMW Rules in 1998, WBPCB became the designated authority to approve and monitor BMW management in the Kolkata. After ten years of the introduction of BMW Rules, it is imperative to assess the achievements and the failures, the problems and the prospects of BMW management in the Kolkata. Thus the study was undertaken. The most important task of the present study has been an assessment of the amount of BMW generated in different categories of Health Care Units (HCUs) in Kolkata. The foremost step for the assessment of Bio-Medical Waste generated essentially calls for preparation of an inventory of the HCUs under study by CATEGORY.