Section 115 of the Bombay Police Act empowers the civic body to levy an administrative charge on hospitals who dump such bio-medical waste in garbage containers making it difficult for disposing the trash. An administrative charge of Rs 3000 was levied on Dr S S Gokhale at 996, Shukrawar Peth for dumping syringes, saline bottles, urine bags and used gloves in the garbage dump.

Tilak Road divisional ward officer A Y Chinchore checked the garbage dump and found the hospital waste in it. Likewise, Bhagli hospital at Bibvewadi was also levied an administrative charge of Rs 3000 for negligence in dumping its bio-medical waste.

In a bid to prevent the recycling of medicinal waste, Additional Municipal Commissioner Deepak Kapoor today called a review meeting of health officials where it was proposed to collect the waste from private hospitals at a minimal cost. Kapoor told Pune Newsline that a meeting of such hospitals with a capacity of more than 50 beds will be held on May 14. ``We will send our vans at a specific time to these private hospitals to collect their waste to dispose it in the incinerator.'' A minimal charge of Rs 50-70 will be levied, Kapoor said.

Kapoor who supervised the month-long sanitation drive at the PMC-run 16 hospitals said that cutters have been provided. ``We have also decided to purchase plastic containers and provide it to major hospitals. Ward matrons have been directed to cut the needles, smash the syringes and put them in plastic bags as per the colour code.''

While Kapoor had introduced the waste management project at the PMC hospitals as per the colour code, several private practitioners told Pune Newsline that various coloured plastic bags were not available at medical shops.

Noted orthopaedic surgeon Satyasheel Naik pointed out that while these coloured bags were not available, an incinerator was not useful for disposing plaster casts, as they did not burn.

Meanwhile, the PMC is also exploring the possibility of purchasing incinerators from grants extended by Central Government and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. President of Indian Medical Association R B Jathar who met PMC chief medical officer assured to abide by the PMC guidelines on the safe disposal of bio-medical waste.