PMC mulls action against those flouting norms.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued a notice to all medical practitioners, hospitals, clinics, pathology labs and blood banks in the city to register for the biomedical waste (BMW) generation and disposal facility by May 15. It has been reported that the harmful BMW generated in the city is finding its way to public dustbins and nalas instead of being disposed of in special incinerators.
Shockingly, of the 6,000 general practitioners practising in the city, PMC officials said that only 2,000 have signed up for the mandatory facility. For the rest, the notice has set the deadline to either fall in line or face action after May 15.
The notice clearly states that medical establishments would face action not just from the civic body but the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) as well.
In the past too, hundreds of city clinics had been issued notices by MPCB for subscribing to the common biomedical waste treatment (BMW) and disposal facility for scientific incineration of waste generated at their units. BMW includes syringes, blood-soaked bandages, human products and waste left during surgeries as well as expired medicines that have to be disposed of scientifically.
Dr ST Pardeshi, chief medical officer of PMC, said, “While the formality to register is simple and the cost is only Rs480 per annum, the fine for violation is Rs10,000 per offence. Hence, we appeal to medical establishments, especially general practitioners, to do the needful.
Civic body rectifies error
Even as the PMC is reprimanding private clinics for not taking permission to generate biomedical waste and its disposal, the civic authority itself was in trouble. It was revealed a few months ago that civic hospitals in Pune, including 34 civic dispensaries and 14 maternity homes were running without seeking MPCB’s consent. However, the PMC’s health chief said that now all their establishments have been registered with the MPCB. “We have rectified the error,” said Pardeshi when asked about the current situation.
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