AIIMS, 32 other hospitals given 4 weeks to comply with bio-med waste rules

Most of the Delhi hospitals, including the premier AIIMS, do not comply with the rules for collection and disposal of bio-medical waste, posing a serious threat to human health and environment, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) today said.
The Tribal gave the 33 hospitals four weeks' time to comply with the directions of the Central Pollution Control Board or else the Director and Medical Superintendent of the respective hospitals will face prosecution.
"Majority of the hospitals in National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi are not complying with the biomedical waste rule and are thus posing a very serious threat to human health and environment," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal directed all the hospitals, 33 in number, which were found to be violating the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 to comply with the directions issued in that regard by a joint inspection team (JIT) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The NGT has given them four weeks time to comply with the directions of CPCB and the joint team, failing which the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and CPCB have been directed to "launch prosecution against the Director and Medical Superintendent of the respective hospitals".
The JIT, which comprises members from CPCB and DPCC, has been directed to inspect the 33 hospitals after expiry of the four weeks and submit a status report on whether the team's recommendations have been complied with.

A JIT has to also mention in its report whether the collection and disposal of biomedical waste by these hospitals is in anyway likely to cause any health hazard.
The 33 hospitals also include, Safdarjung Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Harding Medical College, Indraprastha Apollo, Ram Manohar Lohia, Hindu Rao, St. Stephen's Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre Ltd, etc.
The NGT's order was passed after it went through a report submitted by the JIT which has stated that these hospitals are not following the bio-medical waste rules in its true spirit and substance.