Biomedical waste is defined as “Any solid and/or liquid waste including its container and any intermediate product, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals”. As per the rules framed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Govt. of India, known as ‘Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998,’ notified on 20th July 1998, the ‘occupier’ (in our case, the Administrator) shall be responsible for taking necessary steps to ensure that such waste is handled without any adverse effect to human health and the environment.

Currently, the biomedical waste management policy followed at Nazareth Hospital, Shillong is as per the Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India as per the gazette notification dated 28th March 2016. Prior to this notification, Nazareth Hospital had been following the Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1998 notified by the same ministry. The non-recyclable and sharp BMW of our Hospital is collected and finally disposed of by The Shillong Municipal Corporation at the Common Treatment Facility at Marten, Mawiong, Shillong while our recyclable waste is outsourced to Fresh Air Waste Management Services Pvt. Ltd, Guwahati Assam. An Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) has also been installed since 2016 to treat the liquid waste generated before discharging into the public sewer system.