‘Biowaste in garbage not from GMCH’

Nagpur: Refuting allegations of mixing biomedical waste with other solid waste, GMCH administration on Saturday said the hazardous materials reaching Bhandewadi dumping yard was not from its campus as the black bags didn’t have the hospital’s label.
As per norms, biodmedical waste is disposed in red and yellow bags while solid waste in black bags.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) solid waste management (SWM) department had on Thursday slapped notices on six hospitals, including GMCH, for violation of Bio Medical Waste Management Rules.
Countering the GMCH administration, deputy municipal commissioner (SWM) Dr Gajendra Mahalle said the bags were opened in front of the GMCH staff at the waste shed on their campus and they owned it. “Biomedical waste was found in black bags,” he said.
An official of AG Envrio, the agency engaged in lifting solid waste, agreed that those black bags having mixed waste didn’t have labels. “Many times their bags don’t have label,” the official told TOI.
Dr Sharad Kuchewar, medical superintendent at GMCH, said they have further tightened measures to ensure biomedical waste was not mixed with garbage. “But all our black bags have ward labels,” he said.
Dr Kuchewar said the hospital had stopped sending the black bags after Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials informed them about the incident on April 26. “I asked if the waste bags had label on them. The official replied in the negative. At GMCH, no waste bag moves out of ward without a label. The tag has date and number of ward from where it has been sent. This is also recorded at the waste shed. The staff at waste shed sends the bag back if there is no label on it,” he said.
Dr Kuchewar also questioned the photograph showing needles and syringes found in black bags. “We have a puncture-proof white container for needles and syringes. Also, a plastic cover of a consumable was shown as ‘biomedical’ waste,” he said.
GMCH stores biomedical waste in a closed shed. It is located 50m away from the solid waste shed.
Dr Kuchewar blamed hundreds of visitors for some masks, needles or other items being dumped in black bags.
The superintendent further added that after the complaint, he personally monitored and inspected the bags before dispatching them to Bhandewadi.