MADURAI: Doctors have voiced concerns of infection spreading as bio medical waste generated in the taluk government hospitals is not cleared in the last 24 hours. They claimed that the private contract agency which collects the waste picks it up once in two or three days. By the time, foul smell from the waste pervades the hospitals even though the waste is securely packed and stored in a separated place, they say.
Speaking to TNIE, secretary of the association Dr Ilamaran said, “Collection of biomedical waste and safe disposal is a challenge for waste management agencies. While there aren’t any problems at the Madurai Medical College (MMC), hospitals located in remote areas face problems in disposing biomedical waste on time.”
An office bearer from Tamil Nadu Sanitary Supervisors Association (Madurai) said, “Delay in collection of bio medical waste is reported in all taluk government hospitals including Vadipatti GH, Sholavandan GH, Peraiyur GH, Thiruparankundram GH, Melur GH, and Usilampatti GH. Only rarely do they pick it up within 24 hours, else they are lethargic and this creates problems for us.”
A top official from Thiruparankundram Government Hospital said, “Collection of biomedical waste is often delayed in our facility. We generate around 40-55 kilogram of bio waste every month, including cotton, syringe and other items, plus body parts like placenta from the operation theatres as we handle pregnancies. We get around 10-16 deliveries every month. The waste must be removed at once otherwise, it creates an unbearable smell.”
A top official from Thiruparankundram Government Hospital said, “We have a trauma care unit and 24 hour maternal care in our facility. Every day we generate a lot of biomedical waste. These are arranged and segregated in different colours and packed by our staff. But, workers from private contract agency, often come late to pick them up. Despite repeated calls, they arrive once every few days. Sometimes, we have to issue threats to those in order to make them pick the medical waste.”
An official from the contract agency for bio medical waste collection said, “We are in charge of collecting bio medical waste from all government hospitals and PHCs in Madurai. Every alternate day, we pick the waste. The local staff forget to inform their higher officials from government hospital about the accumulation. Around 13 vehicles are deployed to pick bio medical waste. For Madurai city alone, we have allocated four vehicles. There are some minor issues, and these will be resolved soon.”