THIRUVANANATHAPURAM: A new technology for biomedical waste management was presented at the Biomedical Waste Management conclave conducted by the CSIR-NIIST, Pappanamcode, under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
“The advanced technology converts 1kg of biomedical waste into a harmless soil additive, which can be useful for agricultural purposes, within just three minutes,” explained C Anantharamakrishnan, director of CSIR-NIIST.
M Srinivasan, director of AIMS New Delhi, inaugurated the conclave. The function was presided over by Kalaiselvi, secretary and director general of CSIR-NIIST.
The conclave also witnessed the participation of more than 250 delegates from the healthcare fraternity, including experts, policymakers, and technical experts from renowned medical colleges, hospitals, and NGOs. “Hazardous BMW (biomedical waste) can be disinfected and disposed off at its source at a very low cost. This technology would be a long-awaited relief for large and small hospitals, clinics, laboratories and the healthcare sector in general, who are facing challenges in the risk-free disposal of biomedical waste,” said Joshy Varkey, managing director of Bio Vastum Solutions, a startup for the commercialisation of the technology.
The conclave had expert panel discussions on topics including ‘Significance of Scientific Biomedical Waste Management – Focus on Pathogenic Waste, Pandemics, and Emerging Infections.
Effective and practical solutions for the disposal of hazardous biomedical wastes directly from their sources were the main focus of the panel discussion on biomedical waste management-related issues.