Hospitals and medical institutions have to be the source of promotion of health. That is the universal concept. But how do we react when we find these institutions becoming a source of hazard to health. That is precisely what the six member panel appointed by the Government way back on October 12, 2012 has reported after inspecting and examining the system of disposal of bio-medical and other waste in hospital and dispensaries whether private or public. The report has recently been submitted and shockingly, it reveals in detail absolute carelessness and irresponsibility of concerned in hospitals and polyclinics where existing rules governing disposal of waste are thrown to wind. Although there is a wing in the hospitals entrusted with the task of proper and scientific disposal of hospital waste, yet strangely, as the report reveals, these mechanisms are either dysfunctional or do not function at all. The most disturbing situation is that the waste is not segregated at source though it should be in all circumstances and the items that need to be disabled and disposed of before these are sent to waste bin are dumped with the heap. The scrap collectors could misuse these and thus increase health hazard.
The report says that the condition of waste disposal in Government medical college and hospitals in Jammu is in no way better than what it is in private hospitals. It is a sad situation. The Government colleges are provided with necessary paraphernalia to manage bio-medical waste and even trained staff is provided to them. Apart from this, we have the department of environment as well which could also bring hospital waste management system under its jurisdiction. Why have all these structures failed to update waste management system in hospitals is just because of irresponsibility on the part of those who are at the helm of affairs. We are all talking a lot about environment and pollution and ecological degradation. But we have seldom talked about the danger to health emanating from mishandling of bio-medical waste and its proper disposal. The report says that even the green and red bins provided for segregation of waste at source are not properly used which would control mixing up of waste. Likewise the report says that there are not even the special trolleys to carry the waste from the wards and patients’ rooms to the waste storage spots. Even some of the waste dumped within the hospital premises is left uncovered and in open. This is monstrous negligence and apathy on the part of doctors and nurses and the management staff in hospitals. Now this being the state of affairs in Government and private hospitals in the city including the medical college, imagine what will be the condition in district hospitals and polyclinics. It could be worse and even unimaginable. Therefore the Health department needs a total review of its waste management policy throughout the state and not only in the hospitals in cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
The panel has done excellent job in paying fullest possible attention to each and every item connected with the waste management in a hospital and has made several recommendations which seem to be very rational. It has recommended that for segregation of bio-medical waste the primary responsibility should be with the generator of these wastes viz. doctors, nurses and technicians and waste should be segregated as per categories applicable. No untreated bio-medical waste has to be kept beyond 48 hours and their removal should be time scheduled. One recommendation is that the Head of each hospital should form a waste management committee to meet regularly for reviewing the performance of waste disposal team in the institution. There are other recommendations including one suggesting that the staff deployed to handle the bio-medical waste should be properly trained and educated in the task they are asked to perform.
The panel has done its job and now the report is with the Health Department. It remains to be seen how speedily the department will accept and implement these recommendations and remove the threat to health emanating from mismanagement of waste. It is very important that the rules and norms set forth in this behalf are made part of hospital culture and these should automatically be followed by all concerned.
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