Karwar: Deputy Commissioner Dr K Harishkumar said that all hospitals, nursing homes, medical laboratories and clinics in Uttara Kannada district must mandatorily register themselves for scientific management of bio-medical waste.

Chairing a meeting of bio-medical waste management district-level committee in Karwar on Friday, Dr Harishkumar said that bio-medical waste must be managed properly or else it will cause harm to the people as well as the environment. The working of Canara IMA Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility, which had taken the responsibility of bio-medical waste management here, was also not working satisfactorily. So, the district health officer and the officials of the District Pollution Control Board should visit the spot and submit reports.

Dr Harishkumar said that the Pollution Control Board officers must check if bio-medical waste management was being done properly once in every three months and submit a report. Certification regarding the working of the Canara IMA Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility must be provided once in every three months. A Bio-medical waste management committee must be formed in every taluk and it must be presided over by the respective tahsildars. This will help in monitoring at the taluk-level.

District Health & Family Welfare Officer Dr G N Ashok Kumar, District Surgeon Shivanand Kudtarkar, IMA President Nitin Pikale, Canara IMA Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility Chief N V Nayak, Pollution Control Board Officer Vijaylakshmi Hegde and others attended the meeting.