UN invests $40m to clean Indias medical waste
United Nations: The UN agency for promotion of industry has launched a $40 million pilot project to help India dispose of its hazardous medical waste.
The project to be implemented in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab will be carried out over a period of five years. Every year over 300,000 tonnes of medical waste is generated in India, UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) director-general Kandeh Yumkella said in a statement.
Yumkella, who is currently on a week-long visit to India, said UNIDOs environmentally-friendly project will help manage and dispose of hazardous medical waste. Bangalores M S Ramaiah medical college would be the national implementation body. Four large, eight medium and 16 small hospitals in each state will benefit from the project, UNIDO said.
To achieve an ecofriendly disposal of biowaste, we not only need to train people to be conscious of quality, we also need the participation of the private sector, he said.
In western countries, private businesses often deal with the disposal of bio-medical waste, which allows hospitals to focus on medical issues, Yumkella said. The project will help reduce persistent organic pollutants (POPs), especially dioxins and furans that are generated when bio-medical waste is not incinerated at the prescribed high temperatures of over 1000 degrees celsius. This will be achieved by introducing non-burn technologies like microwave and autoclave.
* The UNs eco-friendly project will be implemented in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Orissa and Punjab within five years. Bangalores M S Ramaiah medical college will be the national implementation body