Bio – Medical Waste Management in Pondicherry Region: A Case Study
C. Rajakannan1, S. Govindaradjane2, T. Sundararajan3
1C.Rajakannan, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Pondicherry, India.
2Dr. S. Govindaradjane, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Pondicherry, India.
3Dr. T. Sundararajan, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry, India.
Manuscript received on March 12, 2013. | Revised Manuscript received on April 15, 2013. | Manuscript published on April 30, 2013. | PP: 75-79 | Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013. | Retrieval Number: D1289042413/2013©BEIESP
Open Access | Ethics and Policies | Cite
© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Health Care Establishments (HCEs) generate biomedical waste (BMW), 15 – 35% of which are ‘hazardous and toxic’. In spite of existence of regulatory mechanisms for handling etc., the ground reality is far from satisfactory, in India. There is a need to assess the actual practices that are followed in HCEs in all major cities and towns. In this study BMW handling and management in HCEs located in Pondicherry, India has been investigated. It was found that the importance of ‘segregation’ of waste has been realized by hospital staff. Further, HCEs in the region has been practicing one of the three methods (i.e. autoclaving, incineration and microwave irradiation) of treatment of BMW. A novel and low cost treatment of BMW has been proposed and implemented in private hospitals, Pondicherry as a case study. The results are very encouraging and cost effective.
Keywords: BMW, low cost treatment method, assessment of quantity, neem and tobacco extract, management of BMW.