PGI Team Bags Indian Building Congress (IBC) Best Paper Award

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Chandigarh 02^nd September:- The PGI team comprising of Er.P.S. Saini, Superintending Hospital Engineer, Deptt. of Hospital Engineering and Planning, Dr. Parampreet Kaur Ahuja, a civil engineer  and Dr. Amarjeet Singh of School of Public Health has received Indian Building Congress (IBC) Best Paper Award for the paper titled "Bio Medical Waste Management – Issues and Challenges – A Case Study" on 2^nd September, 2015 during 20^th Annual Convention of Indian Building Congress at New Delhi. The paper was presented during mid term session and Seminar on 'Waste Management in Built Environment'  with an objective to find engineering solutions and technologies as a step towards Swachh Bharat Mission announced by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.

The paper focused on the management of biomedical waste(BMW), related issues and challenges. Due consideration must be given to the impact of hospitals on environment, especially to risk of pollution of water, air and soil, besides aesthetics of the biomedical waste generated in the hospital.  In order to minimise these environmental problems, action should be taken to deal with pollution at source, i.e. waste should be segregated and concentrated within health care institutions, and whenever possible it should be disposed off safely. Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 were notified under provisions of Environment Protection Act, 1986. Section 15(1) of Environment Protection Act, 1986 provides that whoever fails to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of this act, or the Rules made or orders or directions issued thereunder, shall, in respect of each such failure or contravention, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may be extended to one lakh rupees or with both. The paper also discussed latest non burn technologies for treating Bio-Medical Waste and provided recommendations for effective management of BMW so as to reduce environmental pollution. Hospitals also have to ensure that they practice 'NO HARM' policy. Treatment and disposal of Biomedical waste is a regulatory requirement and the Architects and Engineers need to give due attention to this aspect while planning, designing & operating health care facilities. BMW management has to be an integral part of hospital hygiene and infection control.