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Kerala
has the highest number (about 27%) of health care institutions in India.
The total bed strength of hospitals in Kerala is 1,13,530 of which 43,273
are in the Government sector, 2,740 in the co-operative sector and 67,517
in the private sector. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board is the
Prescribed Authority in the State to implement the Biomedical
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.
All hospitals having inpatients, all clinics and laboratories serving
more than 1000 persons per month and all operators providing facilities
for biomedical waste transport, treatment and disposal have to obtain
Authorisation from the Board. The Board has so far identified nearly
4000 biomedical waste generators in the State. These institutions are
required to obtain the Authorisation of the Board and provide adequate
facilities for collection, segregation, treatment and disposal of biomedical
wastes.
Responsibility of Occupier
Every occupier of an institution generating biomedical waste has to
take all steps to ensure that such wastes are handled without any adverse
effect to human health and the environment. It is the duty of all occupiers
to obtain Authorisation from the Board as per the Biomedical
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules.
Applying
for authorisation
Application
for Authorisation (Form I) is to be accompanied
by fee as prescribed by the Government of Kerala. The application form
is obtainable free of cost from the Board offices or can be downloaded
from this web site. The Fee has to be remitted as Demand Draft in favour
of the
Kerala State pollution Control Board payable at Thiruvananthapuram.
Conditions regarding segregation, collection, storage, treatment, disposal,
monitoring, maintenance of records and submission of reports are laid
down in the Authorisation.
As
per the Rules the wastes coming under ten categories are to be placed
in four different coloured containers/ bags. The wastes have to be treated
using techniques such as deep burial, incineration, autoclaving, micro
waving, mutilation, shredding and chemical disinfection. The treatment
and disposal facilities in most hospitals are inadequate.
Prescribed
fee:
|
Sl.
No.
|
No.
of beds
|
No.
of patients treated/ served per month in clinics/ dispensaries/
pathological laboratories/ blood banks
|
Others
|
Fee
for a period of 3 years (in Rs.)
|
|
1
|
500
or more |
-
|
-
|
10,000
|
|
2
|
200
to 499 |
10,000
and above |
-
|
7,500
|
|
3
|
50
to 199 |
7,500
to 9,999 |
-
|
5,000
|
|
4
|
25
to 49 |
5,000
to 7,499 |
-
|
2,500
|
|
5
|
5
to 24 |
2,500
to 4,999 |
-
|
1,000
|
|
6
|
0
to 4 |
1,000
to 2,499 |
-
|
500
|
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
Animal
house/ veterinary institution |
500
|
Common
Waste Treatment Facility
Providing
common treatment facility is a good option. The State branch of the
Indian Medical Association is having proposals to start common facilities
at Kannur, Kollam and Thodupuzha. They have identified the site at Thodupuzha
and the Government have allocated the land. The Government is planning
to set up such common facilities at 5 centres for treating wastes from
Government institutions.
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