ABSTRACT:
Environmental hazards caused by medical wastes poses serious threat to human life and results in several health ailments. The environment gets polluted by improper disposal of medical wastes including syringes, contaminated materialsand genotoxic wastes that endangers human health. The SARS Covid-19 Pandemic has caused significant environmental damages which has resulted in surge of medical waste generation globally. In India, inadequate waste management compounds the problem of improper disposal of medical waste and this issue is compounded by the rampant use of personal protective equipment (PPE), mask and gloves which often finds their place in the landfills or waterbodies. Thus, to reduce the impact on environment, it is necessary to have a collaboration between the governments, healthcare facilities and environmental organizations. Necessity of effective laws and regulations are required for proper handling, treatment and disposal of medical waste for safeguarding both environment and public health. For a healthier and more sustainable future, policymakers must mitigate the impacts of improper disposal of medical wastes by collaborating and enforcing mechanisms ensuring compliance and addressing transboundary challenges. This paper addresses comprehensive legislations to alleviate medical waste pollution and enforce proper waste management practices to promote sustainability in healthcare systems.
Keywords:
Environmental hazards, Disposal of medical waste, Transboundary challenges, Sustainability, Inadequate waste management.
INTRODUCTION:
Environment is an important aspect of every nation for the survival of species which must be taken care of. It encompasses offactors like physical, chemical, and biological that creates the natural environment where life can survive. Environmental elements including air, water, soil, climate and the ecosystemis important for sustainability of life. Every nation-state has their own demarcated territory and have their own rules to protect their environment.Basel Conventionwhich beingauniversal environment treaty,governs the movement of toxicwastes between different countries. India being a contracting partyof the Basel Convention has granted ratificationin the month of June, 1992 which came into force on 22nd September, 1992.
India has implemented Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 whichis a set of guidelines that comes under the Environment Protection Act 1986 thatappliesto thoseengaged in generating, assembling, receiving, storing, transferring or discarding of bio-medical wastes in whichever form which is being generated hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions etc.Article2(e) of Environment Protection Act, 1986[1]states that hazardous substancecontains any element that has physico-chemical properties that causes damage to human life.
The generation of waste during the time of diagnosis, treatment or at the time of vaccination or during theprocess of research related to the productionand trailsof living substances is known as Bio-Medical Wastes. Daily generation of bio-medical wastes depends upon the types of health issues and varies from one state to another. The Bio-Medical waste generated varies from 1kg to 2kg in developing countries to 4.5kg indeveloped countries. In India 45.5% to 50% of the waste is infectious which requires special handling whereas in developed countries it varies from 10% to 15%.[2]
[1]The Environment Protection Act, 1986, art.2(e).
[2]Zile Singh, R Bhalwar, J Jayaram, VW Tilak, An Introduction to Essentials of Bio-Medical Waste Management, National Library of Medicine (Jul. 21, 2011), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4925840/.