Tirunelveli Medical College Faces Backlash Over Improper Biomedical Waste Disposal

Tirunelveli: A recent incident involving the burning of a large volume of biomedical, plastic, and paper waste at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) has sparked outrage among residents of nearby areas. The residents from MGR Nagar, Periyar Nagar, and Indra Nagar filed a formal complaint with the hospital dean, Dr. Revathy Balan, demanding immediate action to stop the practice.

In response, the residents also threatened to lay siege to the hospital on Wednesday. The waste was burnt near the Regional Cancer Centre block, an area that is particularly sensitive due to the presence of vulnerable patients. The burnt materials included blood sample containers, saline bottles, cannulas, used gloves, expired tablets, as well as plastic, food, and paper waste. 

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According to TNIE, Residents and functionaries of Aathi Tamilar Katchi, who submitted a complaint to dean Dr Revathy Balan, said smoke from the burning waste was affecting people's health in nearby areas, causing breathing difficulties, asthma, and lung-related ailments. They urged the hospital administration to immediately put an end to the practice. The complainants warned that if no action was taken, they would stage a protest and lay siege to the hospital.

In response to the complaints, the hospital administration arranged for private trucks to remove the burnt biomedical waste.

Hospital Administration's Response

Dr. Revathy Balan, the dean of TvMCH, responded to the complaints, assuring the public that immediate actions were being taken to address the situation. She confirmed that the hospital had suspended three workers of a private manpower agency involved in the improper segregation of waste.

Speaking to TNIE, she said, "We hand over 350kg of biomedical waste daily to a biomedical waste management company (Aseptic Systems) for proper disposal. The residential medical officers are responsible for the sanitation of TvMCH. They ensure the removal of non-biomedical general waste, such as food and plastic waste, by corporation workers. Despite their repeated request and complaints, the corporation workers did not remove the waste for the past four days. What was burnt in TvMCH was not purely biomedical waste. They were not bloodstained," she claimed.

According to TNIE, Tirunelveli Corporation Commissioner Dr N O Sukhaputra said, "I heard that some amount of medical waste was mixed with the waste that the corporation was supposed to remove. All institutions and solid waste management companies must fulfill their respective roles in solid waste management."

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Previous Incidents of Waste Dumping

The issue of biomedical waste management in Tirunelveli has garnered significant attention in the past. In 2023, the Tirunelveli Corporation imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a private hospital for burning biomedical waste on its premises. Another hospital was fined for transporting its waste to the corporation’s dumping yard. Alarmingly, medical waste was also found near the premises of TvMCH at the time.

Additionally, in December 2024, approximately 350 tonnes of biomedical waste from Kerala was discovered dumped in several villages in Tirunelveli. The waste, which posed serious environmental and health risks, was eventually sent back to Kerala for proper disposal.