biomedical waste : The challenge of medical waste management: Indias APPCB launches app
Stating the 594 hospitals notified for Covid-19 treatment in the state are generating around 38 metric tonnes of biomedical waste (BMW) per day, the APPCB said the app will help in effective management and scientific disposal of the waste, for which it has prescribed detailed guidelines.
“Even as the scientific disposal of the biomedical waste has posed the biggest challenge for the Board, we are closely monitoring their collection, transportation and treatment", AK Parida, chairman, APPCB said. “Biomedical waste generated during treatment of Covid-19 patients and testing need special consideration."
He said APPCB has tagged all vehicles carrying bio-medical waste from Covid19 hospitals, Covid care centres with GPS for better monitoring.
There are twelve Common Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBMWTF) connected to these 594 Covid-19 notified hospitals for collection and disposal of the medical waste, for which a mobile app has been developed. It is mandatory for the hospitals to register, and update the generation/segregation details of the medical waste through the app; transportation to the CBMWTF is also being tracked through GPS. Continuous Ambient Air Quality (CAAQ) monitoring is being done at the CBMWTFs to ensure that the emission standards are within the permissible limits,” Parida said.
The APPCB has made it mandatory for all the hospitals/dispensaries, quarantine centres and testing laboratories in the state dealing with diagnostics and treatment of Covid-19 suspected or confirmed patients to register themselves and use the app while handing the medical waste to CBMWTFs for treatment.
According to the guidelines it prescribed, only used masks, gloves and tissues or swabs contaminated with blood/body fluids of Covid-19 patients including syringes, medicines etc., if any generated should be treated as biomedical waste and the same is to be collected in a separate yellow bag. Chittoor district, which has a higher caseload of coronavirus, is generating 5.70 tonnes of biomedical waste on an average per day.