MARGAO
An interaction between the Margao Municipal officials and city-based hospitals and nursing homes to address the issue of disposal of sanitary pads and diapers threw up a debate of sorts “ why this sanitary waste including pads and diapers is not classified as bio-medical waste and why the city hospitals be burdened with double sanitary taxation by the civic body.
In fact, representatives of the hospitals and nursing homes feared that double taxation by the civic body and moves to charge the hospitals for disposal of sanitary pads and diapers may make the hospital services expensive since the patients will have to pay for the charges.
The issue of double taxation came to the fore after the city-based hospitals were told to ink an MoU with the company collecting the bio-medical waste for the collection of sanitary pads and diapers at extra cost. This has been stoutly objected by the city-based hospitals and nursing homes on the plea they have been overburdened with double taxation by the civic body.
Driving home the point to Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar, Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar and other Municipal officials, Dr Ashish Gude explained the hospitals have been paying the sanitary charges along with the trade licence, further pointing out that the hospitals have also been paying the sanitation charges to the civic body along with the house tax.
That’s not all. Representatives of the hospitals and nursing homes pointed out that they have entered into an agreement with the private company for the disposal of bio-medical waste at the Kundaim industrial estate.
Dr Gude argued that since the hospitals have been paying the sanitary charges along with the trade licence, there’s no question of the institutions paying the charges for disposal of bio-medical waste.
Dr Suraj Prabhudesai, president of the Private Nursing Homes Association further contended that sanitary waste, including sanitary pads and diapers forms part of the yellow category waste and the Kundaim-based company is duty bound to collect the sanitary pads and diapers without charging extra.
“As if this double taxation is not enough, the hospitals have to pay for the disposal of bio-medical waste. And, now they want to levy charges on the disposal of sanitary pads and diapers. Assuming the hospitals and nursing homes are forced to pay all these charges, our services will become more expensive as the patients will have to shell out the money,” Dr Gude said.
The company representatives have agreed to discuss with the higher-ups and get back to the civic body and the hospitals, but the doctors made a fervent plea to the Margao Municipality not to allow the sanitary pads and diapers to pile up in the hospitals till a proper decision is arrived at by the parties.
“We have an agreement with the Kundaim-based company to lift our bio-medical waste. Till such time, a proper solution is arrived at, we want the company to continue to lift the sanitary pads and diapers,” Dr Suraj said.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar said the civic body would study the claims made by the hospitals and nursing homes on double taxation, promising to come out with an amicable solution. “The doctors have raised certain issues and we will definitely study them and come out with a solution at the earliest,” Damu said.
Chief Officer Gaurish Shankhwalkar pointed out that interaction with the representatives of the hospitals and nursing homes was called since the MMC had to transport as many as eight truck load of sanitary pads and diapers generated in the commercial capital to the Kundaim-based plant. “Since the MMC had to pay charges to the company to dispose of the diapers and pads, the meeting was called with the representatives of the hospitals how to address the issue,” the Chief Officer added.
