BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT: A MATTER OF CONCERN

Abstract

Biomedical waste (BMW) is any waste produced during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of humans or animals, research activity pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biologicals or in health camps ¹. About 10-25% of BMW is hazardous and poses a physical, chemical and/or microbiological threat to the healthcare workers, patients as well as the community, with the waste handlers directly dealing with such waste being the most vulnerable ². BMW, if not managed properly, can act as a source of contamination of air, land as well as water sources resulting in the adverse health consequences ^2,3. Recent Covid-19 pandemic has made the BMW disposal all the more essential and its handling known to all the concerned quarters.

The issue of BMW management (BMWM) has been a matter of great concern globally. WHO hand book on safe management of wastes for health care activities called “The Blue Book” came out in 1999, was updated in 2014^4,5. The core principles for achieving safe management of healthcare waste were developed in a WHO meeting in Geneva in June 2007. Besides, there are three international agreements and conventions pertaining to BMWM namely - the ‘Basic Convention’, ‘Stockholm Convention’ and the ‘Minamata Convention’⁶.