Scenario of Biomedical Waste Management during COVID-19 Pandemic in Delhi, India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant rise in the production of biomedical waste in India’s healthcare waste management system. Authorities in Delhi are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain and treat large volumes of biomedical waste as the volume of biomedical waste continues to rise. In addition to the COVID- 19-related biomedical waste to segregate and dispose of, a huge strain has been imposed on the healthcare management system. This research examines the current state of biomedical waste management in Delhi, India as well as the past and present state of biomedical waste generation in various hospitals of Delhi. In this study, the five private hospitals of Delhi have been taken and the data is taken from their websites respectively. The duration of Waste generation has been taken from the year 2016-2020 for each hospital which has been represented graphically. This paper also covers the quantification of biomedical waste of Delhi and India from June 2020 to December 2020, highlighting the comparative analysis of the top 5 States of India producing the largest amount of biomedical waste presented graphically. Apart from that, the study covers the current legal status of biomedical waste management in India (Latest Guidelines and Amendments in BMW Rules, 2016 by Central Pollution Control Board for managing COVID-19 based medical wastes) as well as various advances in treatment technologies for handling large amounts of COVID-19 BMW. The consequences of biomedical waste, which can pose a significant threat to both humans and the environment, have also been addressed. Similarly, various effective measures and the latest treatment technologies have been listed in the sense of proper waste management in a holistic manner toward a sustainable future. This research will help officials and other organizations ensure that there is no inefficiency in the system and that all activities are carried out efficiently.