BeMC launches bio-medical waste management for health care centres

Berhampur: Berhampur Municipal Corpration (BeMC) on Wednesday launched a special vehicle for bio-medical waste management including collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of clinical wastes from its eight urban primary health centres and six urban health dispensaries.

Mayor Sanghamitra Dalei and BeMC Commissioner J Sonal flagged off the vehicle to haul away the bio-medical waste. The BeMC has inked an agreement with Bhubaneswar-based Mediaid Marketing Services for the purpose.

The bio-medical wastes of urban primary health centres situated at Uttaramukhi, Aga Sahi, Aska Road, Baikuntha Nagar, Red Cross, Khodasingi, Ambapua and Haridakhandi and urban health dispensaries situated at Minakshi Nagar, Tulsi Nagar, Gosaninuagaon, Ankuli, Ambapua and Haridakhandi were buried in separate deep well. These health centres generate about 500 kilo bio-medical wastes everyday.

"We would transport the bio-medical wastes from these health centres daily to our incinerator plant at Arakhapada in Seragada, about 45 km from Berhampur, to dispose it of," said Rabi Narayan Pasupalak, a partner of Mediaid Marketing Service, which is in service for the last 15 years.

"We are having a 7-tonne capacity incinerator plant at Arakhapada and eight such special vehicles for bio-medical waste management. We are also collecting bio-medical waste from 10 private hospitals and nursing homes in Berhampur," he said.

According to Health department sources, there are 170 private clinics and hospitals in Ganjam, including 140 in Berhampur. But the bio-medical waste management in these private healthcare centres is yet to be made systematic, sources added.

Bio-medical wastes are generated from health care activities and have the potential to spread diseases. Bio-medical waste includes all the waste generated from the Health Care Facility which can have an adverse effect on the health of a person or the environment if not disposed of properly.