About the concept of Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF)

A Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) is a set up where biomedical waste, generated from a number of healthcare units, is imparted necessary treatment to reduce adverse effects that this waste may pose. The treated waste may finally be sent for disposal in a landfill or for recycling purposes. Installation of individual treatment facilities by small healthcare units requires comparatively high capital investment. In addition, it requires separate manpower and infrastructure development for proper operation and maintenance of treatment systems. The concept of CBWTF not only addresses such problems but also prevents proliferation of treatment equipment in a city. In turn it reduces the monitoring pressure on regulatory agencies. By running the treatment equipment at CBWTF to its full capacity, the cost of treatment of per kilogram gets significantly reduced.

The common bio-medical treatment facilities are also required to set up based on the need for ensuring environmentally sound management of bio-medical waste keeping in view the techno-economic feasibility and viable operation of the facility with minimal impacts on human health and environment.

CBWTF, as an option has also been legally introduced in India. The Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling)Rules, 1998, gives an option to the Bio-medical Waste generator that such waste can be treated at the common bio-medical waste treatment facility. The Second Amendment of the Rules in June, 2000, further eased the bottle neck in upbringing the CBWTF by making Local Authority responsible for providing suitable site within its jurisdiction.

The concept of CBWTF is also being widely accepted in India among the healthcare units, medical associations and entrepreneurs. In order to set up a CBWTF to its maximum perfection, care shall be taken in choosing the right technology, development of CBWTF area, proper designing of transportation system etc. to achieve optimum results. These key features of CBWTF have been addressed in the IMAGE plant with utmost care &perfection.

The wastes produced in the course of health-care activities carry a higher potential for infection than any other type of waste. Inadequate and inappropriate handling of health care waste can have serious public health consequences and a significant impact on the environment. Safe and reliable methods for their handling and management are therefore essential, wherever they are generated.

Thus the management of health care waste should be put into a systematically multifaceted framework. It should become an integral feature of health care services.