District Magistrate Jammu, Sachin Kumar Vaishya has called for a detailed report on all government and private health facilities in the district on their current waste disposal practices, including any shortcomings in complying with biomedical waste protocols.
The directive was issued during a District Level Monitoring Committee meeting chaired by the DM to review the implementation of Bio Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules, with the goal of improving biomedical waste management throughout the district.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Harbaksh Singh has been tasked to ensure the operational status of bio-medical waste handling, disposal and processing facilities across public and private health facilities.
The entire exercise is to be conducted under the supervision of Additional District Development Commissioner, Sher Singh. Furthermore, the District Magistrate underscored the necessity for all health facilities to be thoroughly informed about the imperative of strict compliance with biomedical waste management and disposal regulations.
Facilities are also instructed to implement robust tracking and recording mechanisms for waste processing and transfer, utilising appropriate software solutions. The District Magistrate stated, "It is our collective responsibility to ensure that waste disposal aligns with prescribed norms, thereby safeguarding the health and quality of life of our district's citizens."
The meeting witnessed the participation of Executive Engineer PHE Rajesh Sharma, Divisional Officer SPCB, Health Officer JMC Dr. Vinod Sharma, HoD Medicine Government Medical College Jammu Dr Vijay Kundal, District Health Officer Dr Samina Nazir, Nodal Officer Bio Medical Waste Management Dr Jyoti Bhau among other concerned officers.