GMC not honouring MoU with IIIM on lifting of BMW
H&ME Deptt fails to clear Rs 90 lakh worth liability
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 13: Incredible it may sound but it is a fact that threat of closure is looming large over the lone COVID-19 waste treatment facility that too due to the apathy of the Health and Medical Education Department, which otherwise is supposed to leave no stone unturned to strictly follow the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Moreover, those at the helm of affairs in the Government Medical College Jammu have failed to honour the agreement reached with Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine-Jammu on regular lifting of waste being generated due to testing of COVID-19 samples as a result huge quantity of highly infectious material can be easily seen dumped in the premises of the Institute.
There is only one common bio-medical waste treatment facility in Jammu region under the name and style of M/s Anmol Health Care at village Rakh Rara in Vijaypur and it is engaged in transportation and disposal of bio-medical waste being collected from the Government Medical College Jammu, its Associated Hospitals, District Hospitals and Clinics in the length and breadth of Jammu region.
Several years back M/s Anmol Health Care, which is operating the facility strictly as per the norms of the Central Pollution Control Board and Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, had signed Memorandum of Understanding for transportation and disposal of bio-medical waste being generated in Government Medical College Jammu and Associated Hospitals.
Ever since the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus the Anmol Health Care is working day and night for collection, transportation and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste being generated in the Government Hospitals.
However, due to the apathy of those at the helm of affairs in the Government Medical College and Hospital and Health Department this only facility to scientifically dispose of COVID-19 waste is on the verge of closure, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“The Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu authorities have stopped making payments to the owner of the common bio-medical waste treatment facility during the past three months”, sources said while disclosing that unpaid pending bills with authorities of Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu and Associated Hospitals are to the tune of Rs 20 lakh while as the bills pending with the Director Health Services Jammu are to the tune of Rs 60-70 lakh.
The owner of this common facility had taken up the matter with all the concerned authorities including Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo but till date not even a single penny has been released as a result of which Anmol Health Care is finding it difficult to operate vehicles for collection of COVID-19 and routine bio-medical waste and incinerators for their scientific disposal.
Now, the matter has also been brought to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha seeking his direct intervention. “If necessary cooperation by way of release of all pending payments is not extended by the authorities at the helm of affairs in the Health and Medical Education Department we will be constrained to close down our facility and this will jeopardize the COVID-19 waste management situation in Jammu region”, read the communication of Anmol Health Care written to the Lieutenant Governor.
“We have already intimated our poor financial condition and inability to operate the facility for long period to the Director Health Services and Principal of Government Medical College Jammu but it seems that they are least interested in ensuring uninterrupted services for scientific disposal of COVID-19 and other bio medical waste”, the letter further read.
The non-serious approach towards COVID-19 waste on the part of those at the helm of affairs in the Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu doesn’t end here as they have also failed to honour the agreement reached with the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine-Jammu.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between IIIM-Jammu and GMC Jammu on April 2, 2020 for testing of COVID-19 samples on certain terms and conditions. It has specifically been mentioned in the MoU that the GMC Jammu will ensure regular removal of COVID-19 waste from IIIM Jammu after autoclave.
However, during the past over one and half months this condition of the MoU is not being fulfilled by the GMC authorities despite repeated requests from the IIIM-Jammu. “The non-serious approach in lifting COVID-19 waste is notwithstanding the fact that one spell of rain would spread the waste to wide area and create health hazards”, sources said.
“By not lifting the COVID-19 waste from IIIM Jammu during the past over one and half month the GMC authorities have not only violated the MoU but are also openly flouting the guidelines laid down by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as per which the waste is to be disposed off within a day or two”, sources said.
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