All of us now know that the said 1998 Act as enacted by Parliament pertains to the Bio-Medical Waste (Handling & Disposal). In accordance to the said Law, all Medical Practitioners (General Practitioners, Consultants, Hospitals, Nursing Home, etc.) must fill up the form with MPCB (Maharashtra Pollution Control Board) and get an ‘Authorization’ / Registration.

Failing to fill up the forms and get this ‘Authorization’ / Registration from MPCB is a gross contravention of the Law and nobody can save the Medical Practitioner from the penalties that would be levied by MPCB in such instance. With this communication, we urge those IMA Members / Hospitals, who have as yet not registered and received ‘Authorization’ / Registration from the MPCB to approach MPCB offices STAT and complete the necessary legal formalities. If any member has a problem in getting registered with MPCB he/she may contact the IMA MS office.

All IMA members are herewith advised that as the Law has clearly stated that “Category 1: Anatomical Body Waste type of BMW can be disposed of by way of INCINERATION / DEEP BURIAL METHOD”.

In towns with population less than 5 lakhs and in rural areas the “Deep Burial Method” of disposal of category 1 BMW is legally permissible. It is observed that the MPCB officials and the incinerator service providers have been illegally pressurizing our medical fraternity to join the incinerator Service Provider.

The MPCB notices are willfully misrepresenting the facts in the case of PIL (Nos: 32/2006 & 41/2006) in Bombay High court and the Hon. Court directive of March 2006.

In fact, these Public Interest Litigations in the Bombay High Court were pertaining to Large Corporation, Municipal and other Govt. Hospitals in Metro Cities who had been disposing of Category 1 BMW by Deep Burial Mode. After hearing the plea the court then directed the Public Health Dept., of Govt. of Maharashtra to file & affidavit conveying their ‘Action taken Report’ in adherence to the 1998 Law.

In another instance, a Star Question (LAQ) was raised in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly (Winter Session 2008) by Hon. MLA Dr. Vinay Natu et al regarding the newspaper item of action notice by MPCB against the Ratnagiri Jilha Shasakiya Rugnalaya (Civil Hospital) for illegal disposal of BMW.

In the answer given on the floor of the esteemed House, the Public Health Minister stated that the BMW Disposal of the Civil Hospital, Ratnagiri was done by “Deep Burial Method” in accordance with the law (a copy of this communication is attached).

Hence it should now become amply clear that the stance of the MPCB Officials that everybody MUST join the incinerator Facility because there is a Court directive (and ‘Deep Burial Method’ is not permitted) is a big HOAX being perpetrated on the Medical Fraternity (Now, Wake Up!)

So, at every town and rural areas we can (and MUST) use the Deep Burial Method of disposal for Category 1 Anatomical Body parts Bio-Medical waste. We should not fall prey to the ‘Dadagiri’ of MPCB and Service Provider.

In various Metro Cities, there are many authorized Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Storage and Disposal Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (CBTSD) Service Providers. It is now very clear that:

• These Service providers have been fixing their service charges, Registration Charges, etc. at their sweet will.
• There is at present, no standardization of rates for CBTSD Services Providers
• The MPCB is not accepting the responsibility in the matter of standardization of these rates.
• The Medical Fraternity is left at the mercy of the CBTSD Service Provider and MPCB always favors the service prodders.

It is essential that we, as IMA MS convey our demands to the state Government that:

• The Govt. of Maharashtra should constitute an Advisory Committee to supervise the BMW issue. In fact, in the said notification of the Law of 20th July 1998, this has been clearly stated on Page 3, Item No. 9.
• IMA MS must have proper representation on this Advisory Committee as stated in the Law.
• The Fixation of Service Provider’s Rates, Deep Burial Method Applicability, etc. issues should come under the purview of this committee. These issues can not be left at the mercy and free will of the MPCB officials as it would be a gross contravention of the Law as enacted by the Govt. of India.

Dr. Mrs. Maya Bhalerao
+91 9822 113 203