THE MINISTER OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a) to (e): Radioactive health-care waste usually contains radionuclide with short Half-
lives, which lose their activity relatively quickly. This usually will cause no immediate
effects unless an individual receives a very high dose. Certain therapeutic procedures,
however, require the use of radio-nuclides with longer half-lives. The type and form of
radioactive material used in health-care establishments usually results in low-level
radioactive waste and the quantity of Radioactive waste is very small as compared to
other Bio-medical wastes. Hence, Bio-Medical Waste is more toxic than the Radio Active
materials for human life to a large extent.
Health being a state subject, it is the primary responsibility of the concerned
State Governments to take all necessary actions for proper management and disposal of
Bio-Medical waste through the State Pollution Control Boards in pursuance of Bio-medical
waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government
of India. The Pollution Control Boards/Committees are empowered to ensure the compliance
of provisions of these Rules. This information regarding States is not maintained centrally.
However, in so far as Central Government Hospitals are concerned, they are managing their
bio-medical wastes in accordance with Bio-medical waste rules 1998 and Central Pollution
Control Board guidelines.
National Guidelines on Hospital Waste Management based on Bio-medical waste
(Management & Handling) Rules were developed by this Ministry and circulated to all
states in 2002.
