the goan I network
MARGAO
There’s both good and bad news for the Margao civic body on the bio-medical waste front.
While city-based hospitals and doctors have all agreed to pay the civic body for handling the bio-medical waste, the Margao Municipal Council finds itself in a tight spot with the state administration reportedly pushing the ball in the court of the urban bodies to create “interim facilities” till a permanent bio-medical waste facility takes shape.
Given the latest government decision mandating the urban bodies to set up interim bio-medical waste facilities in their respective jurisdiction, the Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudesai has mooted a joint meeting with the officials of the Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation, Goa State Pollution Control Board and Indian Medical Association to evolve a solution to the burning issue.
City-based doctors under the banner of Indian Medical Association, including Dr Sudhir Shet, Dr Lawande, Dr Nagarsekar, Dr Rajeshwar Naik, Dr Suraj Prabhudesai, Dr Raul Borkar and others had a meeting with MMC Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudesai and Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik on how to address the issue of bio-medical waste generated in the city.
During the meeting, the IMA officials were categorical in saying they are all ready to pay the local civic body to create a facility to handle bio-medical waste. The doctors told the civic officials that many of them have complied with the Pollution Control Board guidelines on disposal of waste in pits, but pointed out that they face problems in disposing off body parts, drip and saline bottles etc.
After the meeting, Babita told The Goan that the doctors under the IMA have been pushed to the wall on the question of handling bio-medical waste. “The hospital and clinics are all willing to pay even to create a facility to dispose of bio-medical waste. But, the latest government decision mandating the urban bodies to set up interim facility to treat bio-medical waste has raised many questions,” Babita said, while mooting a joint meeting with the Solid Waste Management Corporation, GSPCB and IMA to resolve the burning issue.
During the meeting, the doctors also raised the issue of hospitals having received notices from the Margao civic body to pay garbage fees applicable to bulk waste generators. After they insisted that they do not fall in the bulk waste generators category, MMC Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik told the doctors to give a declaration that their establishments do not fall in the purview of bulk waste generators.
