BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT : A RISK ANALYSIS

Abstract

Owing to concrete efforts taken by the state as well as private institutions in the field of health care, there is a perceptible improvement in the health status of Indian population.  Better records are achieved in life expectancy, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate.  At the same time, there is still a lot of demand for better health care due to continuous increase in population and environmental degradation, which cause many diseases.  To meet such a demand the health care providers – both in public and private sectors - are increasingly opening up hospitals, dispensaries, clinics and diagnostic centers.   Their growth has been tremendous in the cities and urban centers.  In the process of their service they generate a large amount of wastes and in the absence of scientific disposal systems such wastes are turning up as health hazards.  Hence there is a need for awareness, action and accomplishment of set standards in collection, transportation and disposal of such health care wastes.