Date:10/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/10/stories/2008121055771100.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Officials meet over hospitals’ closure

B.S. Ramesh

BANGALORE: Two officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare have met with the officials of the Lok Adalat and sought to know the steps they would need to initiate if the adalat was to recall its order directing the closure of 14 government hospitals in Bangalore on December 17.

The Lok Adalat last week took exception to the failure of the Health Secretary to be present at the hearing and also the failure of 14 of the 17 government hospitals in Bangalore to install to biomedical waste treatment plants.

The Lok Adalat Bench of Justice K.L. Manjunath and member Yellappa Reddy had taken to task the hospitals for their failure to obey the direction of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to install the treatment plants. It had asked the board to ensure that all government hospitals in Bangalore, without biomedical waste treatment plants, were closed on December 17.

As there is generally no appeal in a court of law against an order passed by the Lok Adalat, the Government woke up, though belatedly, to the need to formulate a plan of action to tackle the issue.

Two officials of the Health Department met the officials of the Lok Adalat and sought their guidance on taking further steps. Sources in the Lok Adalat told The Hindu that they had advised the Government to file an application to recall the order.

They said they had asked the Government to file another application seeking to advance the date of hearing on the issue.

The 14 hospitals that were yet to set up biomedical waste treatment plants would be asked to submit to the Adalat a plan or proposal to set up the plants. Once all these three steps were taken, the Adalat would recall its order and also give more time to the authorities to set up the plants.

The sources at the Adalat said the KSPCB and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had told them that one of the main and most dangerous sources of pollution of water bodies in and around Bangalore was the flow of untreated biomedical waste into the storm-water drains and drainage system.

They said though they had given an opportunity to the Health Department, it had failed to come up with a comprehensive plan of action to reduce, if not completely eliminate, the flow of untreated biomedical waste into the sewer and sanitation lines.