A patient and her father came up with an interesting request putting me in tight spot. She is a decently educated girl but the father is a not so educated businessman from village in Gujrat. The plea was that father wanted to take away the afterbirth (placenta and the cord) for some ritual and burial. He very strongly believed that not doing so will severely harm the new born.
Now according to the Biomedical waste disposal Act and rules one is supposed to hand over biomedical waste to the authorised agency for transport and disposal. The “generator of waste” that is the hospital owner is responsible and liable for ensuring this. And not handing over to authorised person is a criminal offence. The father of the patient was hell bent on taking it away. He was willing to sign and give a letter of request too. Not allowing him to take away the afterbirth as desired by him was an unnecessary, callous and rude behavior. Further it was like “doctor not being bothered about the emotions and well being of the new born”. And he believed into it to the core!
This incidence raised few questions and opened up Pandora’s box of possibilities.
Ethically does the patient have right to decide about the tissues removed from the body? If there is a conflict which authority should the doctor/ hospital approach?
We see the “stem cell banking” agencies collecting the blood and placental tissues? Are they authorised to collect and transport it by law? Do they use a prescribed vehicle? No they don’t.
What does the pollution control board do about huge biomedical waste generated by the community? The sanitary pads, insulin syringes used by people at home are still disposed off in general garbage. So what are doing about that?
In conclusion the law on biomedical waste disposal seems to be too short sighted. Do we produce the law to make a change or we just make it to show off as if some thing is being done?
Thanks to the man, the father of my patient. It was he who got me put on the thinking hat!!