Abstract :
The disposal of Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) in an unscientific manner can be very dangerous particularly when it gets mixed with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and is dumped in uncontrolled or illegal landfills. This can lead to a higher degree of environmental pollution of air, land and water apart from posing serious public health risks. Realizing the depth and importance of this problem, the present investigation has been carried out from January 2016 to December 2016 to assess the physical composition of BMW in three Private and four Government hospitals of Patiala in the state of Punjab in India. It was observed during the study that in most of the hospitals in Patiala, the facility available for the disposal of BMW is not up-to-date and satisfactory. Lack of concern, motivation, knowledge and awareness are some of the problems faced in the proper management of BMW. There are no defined methods for handling, storage and disposal of BMW as per BMW (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998/2016. The physical composition of solid BMW generated from different health-care units varies as it depends upon several factors such as number of people visiting the hospital, bed capacity of the hospital and the number of health-care facilities available for patients in the hospital.
Keyword :
Bio-medical waste; Disposal; Health; Hospital; Segregation; Treatment.