Hospitals are considered to be places where there is complete cleanliness given the number of patients it caters on a daily basis. They need to have proper waste management mechanisms where all the biomedical waste is discarded in such a manner without affecting patients, general public and the environment. However, these rules are openly flouted at many hospitals. Keeping this in mind, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has now cracked the whip on these erring hospitals in the national capital.
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DPCC has issued closure notices to 12 hospitals for not adhering to biomedical waste norms. The DPCC, in a statement, said it has so far identified 56 hospitals for violating the norms.
"Till June 26, 12 bedded hospitals have been handed closure directions and seven days to vacate patients and close down," it said. "Environmental damage charges shall also be levied on all such violators," it added. Action on all bedded facilities shall be completed by June 30, the statement said.
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The DPCC noted that it is "extra cautious" in hospitals where patients are "vulnerable".
Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 were notified by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. These rules apply to all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose, or handle bio medical waste in any form including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions, animal houses, pathological laboratories, blood banks, ayush hospitals, clinical establishments, research or educational institutions, health camps, medical or surgical camps, vaccination camps, blood donation camps, first aid rooms of schools, forensic laboratories and research labs.