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Training of Trainers on Bio Medical Waste Management & Mercury Hazards
Source: Toxics Link, Date: , 2014
Toxics
Link in collaboration with Bihar Pollution Control Board organized a ToT
Programme on Bio Medical Waste Management & Hazards of Mercury in Patna on
17th January 2014. The workshop aimed to highlight the issue of medical
waste management in Bihar and increase compliance to Bio medical Waste Management
and Handling Rule in the state.
The
state is facing problems related to segregation and waste management in the
healthcare facilities. Majority of the healthcare facilities in Patna are
ignorant about management of the Bio Medical Waste and flout the Biomedical
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.The situation is deplorable even in
some of the most renowned hospitals across the city, raising serious apprehension
on the possible health hazards from these bio- medical wastes. Further,
tackling bio medical waste management is a huge challenge in Bihar as most of
the hospitals are largely erring on medical waste management and a large part
of the infectious waste lies unattended with a high risk of reentering the
system. Most of the hospitals running under Patna City subdivision are
disposing off their medical wastes like injection needles, syringes, glucose
bags on the banks of the river
Owing
to the health and environmental hazards posed by mismanagement of medical waste
across the state, Toxics Link felt the need for conducting training of trainers
(ToT), to put in place the implementation system in individual hospitals. The Chairman
and Member Secretary Bihar PCB, Mr. Subash Chandra Singh, talked about
the various initiatives, taken by Bihar PCB in its attempt to streamline the
medical waste management in the state.
According
to him, the State Health Society of Bihar has been responsible for
implementation of bio medical waste management system in Primary Health Care, Community
Health Care and the district hospitals of Bihar. All these healthcare units
across the state are well connected with Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment
Facility (CBWTF) for disposal of bio medical waste. The facilities get the
entire infrastructure including bags, bins from the CBWTF service provider.
Mr. Satish
Sinha,
(Associate Director, Toxics Link) briefed on the need for effective management
of medical waste, keeping in mind the environment and human health. He urged
for the need to stop burning of waste, as it generates carcinogens like dioxin
and furans. He emphasized on the fact that, this Rule of 1998 is the only rule
that developed as a business model by taking the CBWTF into consideration.
He
also talked about the issue of mercury toxicity and existence of a global
treaty on mercury. The need for mercury phase out from the healthcare
facilities were also discussed in detail. He briefed on the availability of
alternates to all the mercury containing products, used in the healthcare
sector including thermometer and sphygmomanometer.
The
Secretary, Environment & Forests pointed that, although the level of
treatment of any diseases has improved; however the level of bio medical waste
management is yet to attain the height of betterment. This was followed by a
technical session on Dr. Naveen Kumar,
(Bihar Pollution Control Board) who threw light on the various aspects of BMW
Rule, 1998, its amendment and the supportive guidelines on CBWTF and
Incinerator.
Ms. Kankana
Das, (Senior
Programme Officer, Toxics Link) presented on the need for medical waste
management and its linkages to the aspects of occupational safety of healthcare
professionals. She also highlighted the various steps which need to be followed
for effective management of medical waste in a hospital.
Mr. Rakesh
Saran,
(Representative from , SIDON, Toxics Link partner NGO in Bihar) shared his
experience during the project tenure of last four months. He further presented
on a photographic documentation of pre and post intervention status of the four
hospitals, with which he had worked as part of TL’s regional intervention in
Bihar (in 2013).
--Kankana
Das
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