1. PRACTICES OF BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN A DISTRICT GOVT.
HOSPITAL IN SIRSA, HARYANA (INDIA)
Dr. Jaideep Kumar BAMS, MPH (Master in public health) , Panjab University, Chandigarh
(INDIA).
Abstract:
Medical waste is now recognized as a major public health hazard. According to World Health
Organization, each year half a million people globally die due to infections such as Hepatitis B,
and C, HIV and hepatocellular cancer transmitted through unsafe healthcare practices. There is
no information as to what component of this figure comprises healthcare workers. There are also
alarming disclosures about used medical devices and other items getting recycled and repacked
by unscrupulous traders in countries such as ours. This happens when the hospitals do not take
adequate steps to disinfect and mutilate the medical waste as required under the law. Despite the
statutory provision of Biomedical Waste Management, practice in Indian Hospitals has not
achieved the desired standard even after ten years of enforcement of the law. Biomedical waste
has become a serious health hazard in many countries, including India. Careless and
indiscriminate disposal of this waste by healthcare establishments and research institutions can
contribute to the spread of serious diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS (HIV) among those who
handle it and also among the general public. In view of this, the present study on Practices of
bio-medical waste management was carried out in a General Hospital Sirsa, a Govt. District
Hospital of Haryana, in North India. This hospital is a 100 bedded hospital with latest facilities.
The Institute has a work force of 15 doctors, 30 nurses,15 sweepers ,24 ward servants and other
support staff. The study is based on interviews of the staff involved in the biomedical waste
management practices and observation of the biomedical waste management practices. The
present study pertains to the biomedical waste management practices at General Hospital. The
study shows that infectious and non-infectious wastes are dumped together within the hospital
premises, resulting in a mixing of the two, some of which are then disposed of with municipal
waste at the dumping sites in the city. All types of wastes are collected in common bins placed
inside and outside the Hospital. For disposal of this waste the hospital depends on the generosity
of the Synergy waste management (P) ltd, whose employees generally collect it from the hospital
daily excluding Sunday. The hospital does not have any treatment facility in working condition
for infectious waste. The laboratory waste materials are disposed of directly into the municipal

2. sewer without proper disinfection of pathogens. The major part of bio-medical waste is deposited
inside the hospital building in bins for further transportation to BMWM plant Hissar for disposal.
The other small part of bio-medical waste was dumped with municipal waste outside the hospital
building. Some parts of disposable plastic items are segregated by the rag pickers from the
municipal bins and dumps inside the hospital campus. The open dumping of the waste makes it
freely accessible to rag pickers who become exposed to serious health hazards due to injuries and
infections from sharps, needles, other types of material used when giving injections and other
BMW. The results of the study demonstrate the need for strict enforcement of legal provisions
and a better environmental management system for the disposal of biomedical waste in the
General Hospital Sirsa, Haryana(India).