Medicine Section

WHAT HAPPENS WITH BMW?

• Though waste from hospitals and nursing homes are required to be collected and treated separately and it have to be transported in a hygienic manner to the waste disposal site and are to be disposed of in a scientific manner. But in most cities and towns of the state such waste continues to form a part of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in absence of any dedicated disposal facilities for hospital waste.
• Respective municipalities collect MSW in cities and transport it to the designated disposal sites, which is normally a low-lying area on the outskirts of a city. The choice of a disposal site is more a matter of what is available than what is suitable.
• In the state, only lower percentage of the total Biomedical waste generated is treated, rest is dumped in the dumping grounds along with the domestic waste.
• Dumping of heaps of hazardous medical wastes consisting of bandages, syringes, plastic and aluminum equipment etc. outside the hospitals are creating a lot of health problems.
• At the waste dump sites there are several rag pickers trying to salvage any discarded material to sell them and make a living. These rag pickers are exposed to the risk of injuries from contaminated needles and other sharp objects and to various infectious diseases. The biomedical waste (BMW) also emitts a foul smell during the rainy season.
• The stagnant waste and unsanitary conditions are potential breeding ground for flies, Mosquitoes, rodents and insects, which maintain the already existing disease cycle. Due to these acts, diseases like hepatitis, tetanus and dengue fever, HIV infection, etc. are spreading in addition to affecting water, soil and environment at large in the state.
• In the last two months, 353 dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) cases have occurred in the state so far and seven confirmed deaths have been reported (Source: The Hindu). The burning of plastic and untreated Pharmaceuticals produce extremely toxic gases like dioxin and furans, which further add up to the environment pollution. Apart from this littered garbage around the hospitals has little to encourage confidence in the staff and the quality of care they offer.