NEWS

Showing scant disregard for pollution norms, almost 40 per cent hospitals in the State have been found functioning without required authorisation from the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB).

A recent review by senior PCB officials has revealed that about 375 hospitals, each housing over 50 beds, continued to be operational without renewing authorisations that are past expiry. The list of violators also included big corporate hospitals that had shown little interest in abiding by the norms.

Dead line for renew

The APPCB has now set a deadline of February 15 for these hospitals to renew their authorisation.“We have given instructions to the hospitals to renew authorisation by this deadline, or else we will take strict action against the management,” said APPCB Member Secretary Sanjay Kumar.

Bio-medical waste

There are 909 hospitals – with over 50 beds each – across the State that come under the APPCB’s ambit. These hospitals have to obtain authorisation every three years from the board, after satisfying various pollution norms – the most important among them being bio-medical waste disposal.

There are 17 bio-medical waste management facilities to which hospitals have to send their medical waste. In a recent meeting held with the representatives of these facilities, it has been found that many hospitals were segregating the waste erratically.

Medical waste has to be divided into three categories or colour right at the collection centre in hospitals itself. They are yellow colour bins (for human and animal anatomical waste), blue or red colour bins (for used hospital equipment like scalpels, tubings) and translucent or blue colour made with puncture proof material (for syringes and other sharp objects).

Surprise checks

“We are sending a circular to the zonal and regional offices to conduct frequent surprise checks on hospitals to see if they are disposing the medical waste properly. We learnt that in government hospitals the situation is bad as sometimes the waste is sold to scrap dealers by staff,” said an official.A recent review by senior PCB officials reveals that about 375 hospitals continue to be operational without renewing authorisations that are past expiry.