Need panel to take care of hygiene, medical waste, Bombay HC tells state

The Bombay high court (HC), while stressing the need to have a proper medical waste management system and cleanliness and hygiene in public hospitals as they were necessary for the well-being of patients and staff, directed the state to consider forming hospital-level committees to oversee the implementation of measures to address these issues was required

The Bombay high court (HC), while stressing the need to have a proper medical waste management system and cleanliness and hygiene in public hospitals as they were necessary for the well-being of patients and staff, directed the state to consider forming hospital-level committees to oversee the implementation of measures to address these issues was required.

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A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing the public interest litigation filed byLokshahiwadi Balasaheb Sarode Smriti Prabodhan, was informed by advocates Asim Sarode and Ajinkya Udane that the medical waste disposal was neglected as a result of which the lives of the patients, staff and general public were put at risk.

Though the issue raised in the PIL was restricted to Pune hospitals in light of reports that similar problems were faced in other cities and Mumbai, as well as the bench, observed, “Cleanliness and hygiene in the hospital are on top priority now. Ultimately, it is about human lives. So many patients are visiting hospitals and there is pressure on maintaining hospitals. We want authorities to pay special attention to deal with these aspects.”

The bench then observed that as BMC hospitals were frequented by a large number of people, a proper system had to be put in place to maintain cleanliness and hygiene and directed senior counsel Anil Sakhare for the BMC to take up the issue with the higher authorities. “We would request you to take up the issue with higher-ups. See to it that there is cleanliness. Each hospital must have a separate committee to look into hygiene. A large number of patients and relatives visit the hospital every day and there is a risk of getting infected,” said the bench.

Ruing the fact that relatives of patients sitting in the corridors left trash there itself the bench added that it was another reason for the spread of infections and hence priority should be on proper disposal of biomedical waste as well as addressing the issue of cleanliness and sanitation.

The bench while stressing that the committee should be a working one referred to the committee formed to oversee illegal constructions in 2002 and said that the committee had not met in a long time and said that the suggested hospital committees should be on the lines of the hospital in Malegaon. The bench recalled that the committee comprising of local public representatives and the commissioner was constituted four years ago based on the order of the HC while hearing a PIL.

“In 15-20 days, the hospital looked similar to a private hospital. If there is a will, anything can happen,” observed the judge. The bench then noted that the local Member of Parliament had taken the onus of being held accountable which translated into a fantastic job. Hence, elected representatives of each constituency and ward should take such initiatives.

Sakhare assured the bench that the civic authority would look into the suggestions of the petitioner and also convey the suggestion of the court to the authorities. Seeking responses from the respondent authorities, HC posted a further hearing on PIL after two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Court, while hearing PIL on the issue of maintaining hygiene and cleanliness at public places while hearing public interest litigation filed by advocate Amrin Vandrewala directed the BMC to create awareness against the perils of spitting in public through audio-visual medium and also directed the government and police authorities to apprise their personnel on the need to maintain the same themselves so that it would deter the general public.