IMA doctors, MPCB lock horns over inspection of hospitals
Indian Medical Association (IMA) questions methodology and choice of agency appointed by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to carry out inspections
Pune: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has started inspection of private hospitals across Maharashtra in a phase-wise manner to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. The move, however, has drawn strong opposition from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has questioned the methodology and the choice of agency appointed to carry out the inspections.
According to MPCB officials, a couple of months back, a third-party private firm was appointed by the board to survey all healthcare facility centers in the state. These include hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions, animal houses, pathological laboratories, blood banks, and other clinical establishments. However, the IMA Maharashtra has claimed the survey has created unnecessary unrest amongst members.
As per MPCB officials, the appointed firm has been tasked to conduct field surveys and collect primary data from hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, blood banks, and other healthcare facilities. The data will be used to update the mandatory inventory of healthcare facilities, as required as per the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. However, the hospitals have decided not to permit entry to the agency staff.
Babasaheb Kukade, regional officer, MPCB, Pune, said the hospitals are not cooperating with the agency appointed by the board. “The agency has been appointed to survey across Maharashtra to check the authorisation and compliance of disposing of the biomedical waste management. The data will be collected by the agency and submitted to the board. The facilities found not to have authorisation or compliance will be asked to obtain authorisation and complete the compliance. The reason is to identify such facilities and bring absolute compliance,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Babasaheb Kukade, regional officer, MPCB, Pune, said the hospitals are not cooperating with the agency appointed by the board. “The agency has been appointed to survey across Maharashtra to check the authorisation and compliance of disposing of the biomedical waste management. The data will be collected by the agency and submitted to the board. The facilities found not to have authorisation or compliance will be asked to obtain authorisation and complete the compliance. The reason is to identify such facilities and bring absolute compliance,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sunil Ingale, chairman, IMA, Pune Branch, said almost all healthcare facility centers in the state have applied and registered with MPCB and local common biomedical waste facilities. “We are regularly submitting annual reports before June 30. If at all such surveys are to be conducted, the scope of such surveys should be defined beforehand, and sensitisation and awareness of our members is necessary,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sunil Ingale, chairman, IMA, Pune Branch, said almost all healthcare facility centers in the state have applied and registered with MPCB and local common biomedical waste facilities. “We are regularly submitting annual reports before June 30. If at all such surveys are to be conducted, the scope of such surveys should be defined beforehand, and sensitisation and awareness of our members is necessary,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, Hospital Board of India, said, “The hospitals already have registration for the past several years and have taken the combined consent and authorisation from MPCB recently. There is no need to conduct the survey of such hospitals and the survey of hospitals that have not done compliance should be done. As per the rules, an expert agency should be appointed, and the agency appointed is not an expert. The survey is conducted haphazardly, and the staff at hospitals are getting disturbed. We have asked our members to defy the survey as it is unwarranted.”
A senior MPCB official, on request of anonymity, said, “The hospitals should cooperate and support the board. There is no harm in sharing the details with the agency. The agency is only asking for the details and preparing the report. The final decision will be taken by the MPCB to make sure that all facilities follow the environmental norms.”
