Government of Delhi : Government Departments : Health : Directorate of Health Services

Current Status of Bio-Medical Waste Management:

Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India issued a notification for Biomedical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1998 in exercise of powers conferred by Section 6, 8 & 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which was published in The Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3-Sub-Section (ii) New Delhi, July 27, 1998. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has been designated as Prescribed Authority to implement these rules in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

In exercise of the Powers conferred by Rule 9 of the Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 the Lt. Governor of Delhi has constituted an Advisory Committee Vide No. F. 23 (322)/95/EN/99 to act such authority under the said Rules. The composition of the Advisory Committee has 10 members with Pr. Secretary (Health), Govt. of Delhi as Chairman and Director Health Services as Member Secretary / Convener. Under Chairmanship of Principal Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) this Committee meets from time to time to discuss and decide about various issues connected with these rules. Honorable Health Minister also monitors through regular meetings with representatives of various Health Care Authorities, IMA, NGOs and Government functionaries.

All Hospitals and 166 Dispensaries under this Directorate have obtained authorization from DPCC under Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1998. Authorization for new hospital and new dispensaries will obtain authorization during current year.

There is a big network of Health Care Institutions in Delhi. Although, these are not under one banner but these can be utilized by better coordination among different organizations. The organization-wise Institutions are as follows: -

These Health Care Institutions are inclusive of Allopathy, ISM and Homeopathy. The hospitals and dispensaries mainly under Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, Employees State Insurance Corporation and Central Government Health Scheme require special attention.

The Bed Strength In Delhi Govt. Hospitals Is As Follows:

A team comprising of Additional Secretary (Health), Project Director (COEH) and Programme Officer (BMW) DHS (HQ) carry out regular inspection of these Hospitals under NCT of Delhi. The regular monitoring will be done to ensure implementation of these rules in hospitals and dispensaries under government of NCT of Delhi. The biomedical waste management cell will also display the information on website: Delhihealth.com

Biomedical Waste generated in Delhi Government Hospitals in June 2002:

There are 25 Hospitals under Government of Delhi, out of which 11 are under DHS. Six Hospitals are having Incinerators and 9 hospitals are having Autoclaves and Shredders for Scientific Management of Bio-Medical Waste. Bio-Medical Waste from these Hospitals, where such facilities are not available are segregated and transported in special van to Hospitals where such facilities exist.

During the 10^th five-year plan special vehicles will be procured to monitor biomedical waste management from the hospitals under Govt. of NCT of Delhi. All hospitals under GNCT Delhi have already been requested to have separate budget head in their hospitals for Biomedical Waste Management.

Problems Faced by Different Hospitals/Nursing Homes:

At present there are 460 registered nursing homes under this directorate in Delhi. The DHS is under process of identifying Unregistered Nursing Homes through NGOs and tenders are at the final stage of allocation of work. Bed-wise Distribution registered Nursing Homes is as follows:

The Registered Nursing Homes In Delhi Are As Follows:

Under Biomedical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1998, all health care institutions are required to handle biomedical waste in a specified manner. Delhi is generating approximately 6000 metric tons of waste out of which 60 tons are Biomedical Waste. The Government hospitals and major private hospitals have their own arrangement for treatment of biomedical waste. Total no of beds in Delhi government hospitals are 5397. The smaller Nursing Homes and Clinics, which cannot make their own arrangements due to high cost involved in treatment facilities, require some alternative modalities. Keeping in view the difficulties faced by smaller Nursing Homes/Clinics/Blood Banks/Diagnostic Laboratories etc., Government is taking initiatives to establish centralized waste treatment facilities.

Steps Taken by the Government to Solve these Problems:

Keeping in view the difficulties faced by private hospitals/nursing homes in treatment of biomedical waste, the Govt. of NCT of Delhi has allowed these units to avail the facility through India Waste Energy Development Ltd. (IWEDL) at DDU hospital, LBS hospital, GTB hospital and BJRM hospital. Currently IWEDL was operating the facilities at DDU hospital only. Due to poor functioning of the incinerator at DDU hospital, DPCC has cancelled authorization to IWEDL for DDU hospital. However IWEDL has got stay against this order till 1^st week of Nov. 2002. The incinerator at DDU hospital has been repaired by IWEDL. It is catering around 1350 Health Care Institutions.

There is also another agency i.e. Synergy Waste Management Company which is having its treatment facility in Private Sector located at Nangloi, West Delhi. This agency has authorization from DPCC as operator of the Bio-Medical Waste Treatment facility and catering about 350 Health Care Institutions.

Centralized Biomedical Waste Management Facility:

The Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) has been allotted land by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for establishment of Centralized Biomedical Waste treatment facilities 1000 sq. meter each at Okhla and Gazipur in Delhi. The tenders for centralized facility at Okhla have already been invited. The Government of NCT of Delhi has planned to utilize the above two sites for establishing Centralized Bio-Medical Waste Treatment facilities as a joint venture with the private sector/NGO etc. to be identified and selected through a transparent process. For this venture, Government of NCT of Delhi shall only provide infrastructural support to the selected party/agency in terms of transfer of the above sites on such terms and conditions as shall be approved by the Delhi Development Authority. Neither any additional capital expenditure for the establishment of the facility nor any recurring revenue expenditure for operation and maintenance of the facility will be forthcoming from the GNCTD. Given the above conditions, the party for the joint venture shall be selected who is able to offer the services to the Hospitals/ Nursing Homes/ Clinics etc. at the most reasonable rates conforming to all the required statutory conditions. The DHS is under process of identifying suitable entrepreneur who can establish the facilities at Okhla and scrutiny of tenders is in progress.