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Kerala State Pollution

Control Board

Federation of Hospital Administrators-Kerala

Bio-medical waste constitutes an estimated two percent of municipal waste in the urban areas of India. Though the BMW Rules have

been in force for the last 13 years, there is very low compliance level. There are various challenges in the implementation of the system,

like lack of capacity among generators and regulators, inadequate infrastructure, finance etc.

Kerala is a state with considerable medical infrastructure and has managed to provide and maintain high quality medical care. The

advent and surge of medical tourism has also played its part in bringing the medical infrastructure of Kerala in the spot light. But when it

comes to managing the waste produced from these healthcare facilities, the State is lagging behind and this presents a serious situation.

Sensing a pressing need to get all the stakeholders together to address the concerns at a common platform, Centre for Innovation in

Science and Social Action (CISSA), Thiruvananthapuram, and Toxics Link, a Delhi based environmental organisation have joined

together to organise a seminar on Issues and Challenges in managing Biomedical waste and elimination of mercury from the thhealthcare sector of Kerala at Mascot hotel, Thiruvananthapuram, on 28 November, 2012. The Kerala State Pollution Control

Board and Federation of Hospital Administrators (Kerala Chapter) have also associated in the organisation of the Seminar.

The seminar was inaugurated by Shri K. Muraleedharan, managements should evolve a new culture of giving in-house Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. He said that in a training to all staff from the level of Doctors to sweepers in the scenario where waste management has turned out to be the proper management of hospital waste with particular stress most debated topic in Kerala, the issue of biomedical waste to handling of mercury waste. He narrated the evil effects of management assumed utmost significance. Pointing out that mercury from his own experiences. He also suggested as many as ninety five percent of private hospitals several awareness methods which could be adopted in this successfully undertake the management of biomedical regard. waste, he said that the lack of will has come as a bane in this area in Government hospitals. He also pointed out that Shri. K Sajeevan, Chairman, Kerala State Pollution hospital staff themselves had a big role to play in the disposal Control Board said in his presidential address that tons of and management of biomedical waste. He was also of the biomedical waste are discharged from more than 20,000 opinion that the media had a big role in creating awareness in healthcare institutions in Kerala. There is only one agency, this sector and also in bringing the deficiencies to the notice IMAGE, now handling the hospital waste management which of the Government. He offered to intervene to obtain is not at all sufficient. The government gives utmost care and Government sanctions if viable project proposals are importance to this sector. The quantity of mercury is very submitted for the biomedical waste management in the State. limited in the total biomedical waste but it is more than

enough to destroy the world, he indicated. He said that the The issue of phasing out of mercury also needs major disposal of CFL lamps that eject mercury has to be

awareness programmes and training has to be imparted to considered in a very serious manner. He revealed that the those involved in waste management, said Shri. P. KSPCB has envisaged setting up of at least one biomedical Sreekantan Nair, Director in the Department of Environment waste management plant in every district in the state. and Climate Change who delivered a special address in the Government is inviting reputed agencies to this area with inaugural ceremony. He insisted that the hospital subsidy options.

InaugurationBack ground