GGHs in A.P. told to submit reports on biomedical waste management

Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav has instructed the Superintendents of all Government General Hospitals (GGH) in the State to submit reports on the biomedical waste management systems in place on their respective premises. The instruction comes after a dog fled with an amputated limb from the Vijayawada Government General Hospital.

In-charge Director of Medical Education (DME) Radhika Reddy has directed the GGH superintendents to submit the details on how the biomedical waste is being stored, transported and disposed of.

The Health Department has also sought information on the methods employed by the hospitals in ensuring that the doors of the rooms where the waste is stored are properly closed, and on the process of moving waste from operation theatres to the storage rooms.

All GGH superintendents have been told to monitor the storage rooms through CCTV cameras continuously. She said the rooms storing biomedical waste should be cleared daily.

The In-charge DME emphasised that training programmes be conducted for doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, laboratory staff, operation theatre security personnel, and medical students in biomedical waste management procedures.

Following the incident, the Vijayawada GGH Superintendent issued a show-cause notice to the Resident Medical Officer for supervisory negligence. A notice was also issued to the private agency responsible for waste transportation management and a sanitation worker was removed from duty.