RG Kar Firm Handled Medical Waste For 44 Months Without Plant to Treat It: Report

Kolkata: As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues to investigate the dale and disposal of biomedical waste in the Kolkata rape and murder case, reports suggest that the RG Kar Medical Hospital and College firm handled the medical waste for 44 months without a plant to treat it.

In the latest revelations, SNG Envirosolutions has recently come under scrutiny following the case due to its rapid rise to manage up to 70 per cent of waste from government hospitals in the state, including RG Kar, despite it lacking any waste treatment plants,  violating its contract terms, as per media reports.

As per 2019 records, SNG owned by Kolkata businessman S P Singh, secured the contract by partnering with Delhi which operated a treatment plant in Uttar Pradesh.

The firm charged a daily rate of  Rs 8-9 per bed for approximately 80,000 government hospital beds statewide and collected a significant amount of hospital waste daily for three years and six months (44 months), with relying on a subcontract with a competitor.

The government later terminated SNG’s contract in June 2023 after the subcontractor withdrew. In three months, SNG established its first treatment plant in the state and secured a new contract.

In February 2019, the West Bengal Health Department issued a tender for hospital waste disposal, inviting bids from Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) operators for 13 zones throughout the state.

RG Kar's Ex-Principal Ghosh's Deleted Messages Under Scanner

In the rape and murder case, CBI retrieved deleted messages from RG Kar Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh's WhatsApp and is investigating the matter. According to sources, Ghosh texted a person saying, “The girl is exaggerating.”

Additionally, sources have disclosed that Abhaya, the victim, previously reported concerns about the substandard quality of medication to Ghosh. After receiving no response, the 31-year-old trainee doctor escalated her complaints to higher authorities.

Additionally, sources have disclosed that Abhaya, the victim, previously reported concerns about the substandard quality of medication to Ghosh. After receiving no response, the 31-year-old trainee doctor escalated her complaints to higher authorities.