In Nashik, the management of biomedical waste falls under the jurisdiction of Water Grace, an agency appointed by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). Despite the city's robust system for handling biodegradable waste, questions have emerged regarding the payment arrangements for hospitals participating in this endeavor.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Nashik’s former President, Dr. Sudhir Sanklecha, has highlighted the issue with the current payment method. "According to this payment structure, the authorities have assumed that all beds in all hospitals are occupied all the time. The payment structure should be according to the weight of the waste and not according to the number of beds in the hospitals," Dr. Sanklecha explained. This, he argues, would be a more logical and fair approach.
Water Grace agency collects the biomedical waste from hospitals and manages it after conducting processing.
Currently, hospitals are charged based on the number of beds available, irrespective of whether they are occupied. This system is perceived as flawed because it assumes constant full occupancy, leading to potentially unfair charges for hospitals with lower occupancy rates. Dr. Sanklecha and other medical professionals believe that charges should be based on the actual weight of the waste generated.
The process for biomedical waste management in Nashik involves several administrative steps. Hospitals must obtain an authority letter from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) certifying that their waste does not harm the environment. Additionally, they must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NMC regarding waste management practices.
Water Grace, the agency appointed for this task, is compensated by the NMC for collecting and managing biodegradable medical waste from the city. However, the payment structure based on bed count, rather than the weight of the waste, has left many hospitals dissatisfied. This uniform payment system does not account for the varying amounts of waste produced by different types of hospitals. For instance, ophthalmic, dental, and ENT hospitals generally produce less biodegradable waste compared to larger, multi-specialty hospitals, yet they are subjected to the same rates.
The medical community in Nashik is advocating for a revised payment structure that reflects the actual amount of waste generated, ensuring a more equitable system for all hospitals. The call for change aims to make the waste management process not only efficient but also fair for healthcare providers across the district.
When speaking to NMC Medical Officer Tanaji Chavan about the issue, he said, "This is the ideal protocol we follow among all municipal corporations. Though there are such suggestions, we cannot change the system easily. We need to follow certain rules and systems, and this system of per-bed payments has been in place for years now."