The Central Pollution Control board on 18th March 2020 has published guidelines for management of waste generated during diagnostics and treatment of COVId-19 suspected/confirmed patients which is to be followed by every hospital, isolation centers, laboratories and common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facilities.
Key Highlights from the Guidelines:
- Every health care facilities having isolation wards for COVID-19 patients shall keep separate color-coded bins in wards and maintain proper segregation of waste as per BMW rules 2016 and as a precaution, double-layered bags should be used for collection of waste.
- HCF shall use a dedicated collection bin which shall be labelled as COVID-19 and shall be kept separately. Biomedical waste collection in such isolation ward shall be lifted directly from ward into CBWTF collection van.
- The general waste not having contamination should be disposed of as solid waste as per SWM rules 2016
- A separate record for waste generated from COVID-19 shall be maintained.
- HCF shall report the opening or operation of COVID-19 sample collection centres and laboratories to concerned SPCB.
These guidelines are based on current knowledge on COVID-19 and existing practices in the management of infectious waste generated in hospitals while treating viral and other contagious diseases like HIV, H1N1.
Click here to read the Notification.
