MUMBAI, June 23: The disposal of waste by the city hospitals will now come under greater scrutiny. A steering committee chaired by additional municipal commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad has been set up to check on the problem.

According to Dr Rohini Kelkar of the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), "A model waste disposal plan will be tried out on a small group of hospitals. If it is found successful, the method will be introduced in all the hospitals.'' The decision was taken at a workshop on `Safe Disposal of Hospital Waste' held at the TMH on Thursday. The workshop was sponsored by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Council (BMC), TMH, Hospital Infection Society, India (Mumbai Forum) and Bombay First. A panel of experts discussing "Preferred options for segregation, treatment and disposal" proposed the designing of a model training programme for hospital workers. Education of rag-pickers by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the potential for private commercial operations to complement the BMC effort were also suggested.

"The total number of hospitals in the city is 1188 and the bed strength is 36,749. The approximate estimated quantity of infectious waste generated is 23,200 kilos per day," according to Sanjay Deshmukh of Pioneer Austeng Private Limited.

Improper handling of waste and disposal cause transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and C viruses apart from infections like typhoid and dysentery. Hospital waste is not segregated and thus get mixed with general municipal garbage.

Dr Kelkar said the solution could be the use of an auto-clave and shredder at the ward level itself. ``Only tissue should be put in the incinerator,'' she added.

Commenting on the gravity of the problem, Dr Alka Karande, executive health officer, BMC, said, "Garbage removal is already one of our biggest problems. It is impossible for one truck to collect garbage from the 12,00 hospitals in the city. So, the hospitals will have to be divided into smaller groups for garbage collection.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.