Lok Sabha Question No. 901 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Covid Waste Management Worker
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 901 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH FEBRUARY, 2021

## COVID WASTE MANAGEME NT WORKERS

## 901. SHRI T.R. BAALU :

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that India's solid waste management workers, who had to collect, sort  and  dispose  of  hazardous  and  highly  contaminated bio - medical  wastes  have inadequate  protective  gears, s tipulated  in  the  'Covid -19  Vaccination  Guidelines' recently released by his Ministry;

- (b) if so, the reasons for not taking cognizance of such workers in the guidelines;
- (c)  whether  there  is  an  abject  dearth  of  data  on  the number  of  waste  management  worker s infected with COVID - 19 in India and if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether there is a need to vaccinate India's waste management workers on a priority basis as a recognition  of  their  immense  contribution  and  risks undertake n  by  them  to  help  the  civil societies; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the measures proposed to be taken by the Government?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  &  (b): A s  per Bio- Medical  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016, issued  by Central  Pollution Control Board (CPCB), it is the responsibility of the occupier to ensure occupational safety its  health  care  workers  and  others  involved  in  handling  of  biomedical  waste  by  prov ng appropriate and adequate personal protective equipment. Further, CPCB has issued guidel namely 'Handling, Treatment & Disposal of biomedical waste generated during Treatment/Diagnosis/Qu arantine of COVID -19 patients'.

As per guidelines, the staff in volved in handling and collection of general solid waste and biomedical waste from isolation wards, quarantine homes or home care centers shall be pro with  adequate  Personnel  Protective  Equipment  such  as  three  layer  masks,  splash  pr aprons/gowns, h eavy- duty gloves, gum boots and safety goggles. These PPEs are required to b worn  all  the  time  while  collecting  of  waste  from  quarantine  center/quarantine  homes/ care/waste deposition centers.

In  Central  Govt.  Hospitals  in  Delhi,  namely  Safdarjung  Hos pital,  Dr.  Ram  Manohar Lohia Hospital & Lady Hardinge Medical College, adequate and appropriate protective gears provided  to  solid  waste  management  workers  as  stipulated  in  the  COVID - 19  Vaccination guidelines  released  by  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  W elfare  who  collect,  sort  and  dispose hazardous and highly contaminated biomedical waste.

(c): 'Public Health' and 'Hospitals' being State Subject, such data is not centrally maintained.

(d) &(e): A National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID - 19 (NEGVAC) has been established, which provides guidance on all aspects of COVID - 19  vaccination including prioritization of population groups, procurement and inventory management, vaccine selection, vaccine  delivery  and  tracking  mechanism  etc.  The  NEGVAC  has  prioritized  Health  Care Workers  and  FrontLine  Workers  during  initial  phase  of  COVID - 19  vaccination  followed  by prioritized  group  of  persons  aged  50  years  and  above,  and  those  aged  less than  50 y ars comorbidities.