Bhubaneswar civic body starts collecting bio-medical waste from home isolation patients

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], September 11 : The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started collecting bio-medical waste from the doorsteps of houses within the BMC area wherein COVID-19 positive patients are under home isolation, by engaging Jagruti Welfare Organisation.
Jagruti Welfare Organisation has started deploying dedicated vehicles in compliance with standards laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for transportation of the bio-medical waste to the waste disposal centre of Sani Clean Pvt. Ltd. at Tangiapada near Khurda, according to a BMC release.
Jagruti Welfare Organisation will also ensure sanitisation of vehicles with 1 per cent Sodium Hypochlorite solution after each trip as laid down under the guidelines issued by CPCB.
It will also maintain the utmost caution and due diligence in handling of bio-medical waste for collection and transportation of bio-medical waste and ensure the safety of its workmen in compliance with the CPCB guidelines.
The bio-medical waste will be collected through double-layered non-chlorinated disposable plastic bags in compliance to the guidelines laid by CPCB from all the houses where COVID-19 positive patients are under Home Isolation. The plastic bags will be provided by the organisation itself.
While the organisation will be responsible for providing daily collection and transportation reports to BMC, it would cover around 100 houses per vehicle engaged for the collection and transportation of bio-medical waste from the houses under home isolation.
Based on the prevailing situation and for increasing the efficiency of the work, BMC will issue Standard Operating Procedure from time to time. The organisation will be engaging four vehicles for this purpose which will be upscaled in case of any increase in the Home Isolation cases, according to BMC.
BMC will provide the list of COVID-19 positive, home isolation patients with their details of address and contact information to Jagruti Welfare Organisation on daily basis and appoint one nodal officer for monitoring and supervision of the work done.
BMC along with the organisation shall also educate the houses where a COVID positive patient is under Home Isolation for following the protocol by disposing all its bio-medical medical waste in the polythene bags provided by Jagurti and not to mix it with general household waste in order to prevent any hazards.
According to CPCB, biomedical waste at home-isolation shall comprise used syringes, date expired or discarded medicines, used masks/gloves and in case of patients with other chronic diseases may also include drainage bags, urine bags, body fluid or blood-soaked tissues/cotton and empty ampules. As per the agreement, BMC shall pay Rs 5,750 per vehicle to Jagruti for the collection of bio-medical waste in the city in a month.