Review on Management of Hospital Waste in An Efficient Manner
Abstract
This is a review paper which is prepared from the surveys of hospitals and research studies. Hospital waste management in the world is a strict discipline and does occupy a serious place in the management of health care sector. The management of hospital remaining requires its removal and disposal from the health care establishments as hygienically and economically as possible by methods that all stages minimizes the risk to public health and to environment. Health care waste can be dangerous, if not done properly. Poor management of healthcare waste exposes health labors, waste handlers, and the community to the toxic effects of wastes generated from health activity. The disposal of these wastes could also lead to environmental problems. This article intends to describe various health care wastes and its controlling, as creating good practices for proper handling and disposal of health care waste is an important part of the health care delivery system. The aim of this paper is to highlight the present condition of medical waste and a review on scientific method of hospital waste management.
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Introduction
Waste in general is any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) that has no direct use and is discarded permanently. A waste is considered hazardous if it exhibits any of the characteristics such as being flammable, reactive, explosive, corrosive, radioactive, infectious, irritating, sensitizing, or bio-accumulative [1]. Hospital waste refers to all waste generated, discarded and not intended for further use in the hospital. The risks are not only connected to the handling of the waste but also the environmental risk connected to the treatment and disposal of the waste. The proper management of biomedical waste has become a worldwide humanitarian topic today. Although hazards of poor management of biomedical waste have aroused the concern world over, especially in the light of its far-reaching effects on human, health and the environment [2].
Waste management options need to be efficient, safe and environment friendly to protect people from voluntary and accidental exposure to waste when collecting, handling, storing, transporting, treating or disposing of waste. Furthermore, in the Sri Lankan context such options need to be cost effective, taking into account the local logistical needs. Though clinical waste management should be an integral part of the health care delivery system the principal reason for absence of such infrastructure is economic. Health personnel are still to distinguish health care waste from ordinary garbage [3].
The objectives of biomedical waste management involve mainly prevention of disease transmission from one patient to another; to health workers from patients and vice versa; prevention of injury to the workers in health care units as well as workers involved in support services. This helps in turn in prevention of exposure to the deleterious effects of the cytotoxic as well as genotoxic and chemical wastes in general that are generated in the hospitals. Management of waste can be relatively effective as well as efficient practice that is related to compliance when designing is don e properly [4]. World Health Organization states that 85% of hospital wastes are actually non-hazardous, whereas 10% are infectious and 5% are noninfectious but they are included in hazardous wastes. About 15% to 35% of Hospital waste is regulated as infectious waste. This range is dependent on the total amount of waste generated [2].
As far as the management of biomedical wastes is concerned its proper management has become a humanitarian topic worldwide. Hazardous and poor waste management (biomedical) has become a matter of concern particularly in the light of its effects that are far reaching affecting human and animal health and the environment [4].
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that in many countries improper management and disposal of clinical waste continue a significant threat to the healthy working environment. In general, clinical waste is reflecting high quantity, intensive dis posal route and significantly higher costs compared to other waste categories. Thus, many hospitals have faced financial difficulties in managing of clinical waste. Equally in Sri Lanka, although the regulations had been gazetted by Central Environmental Authority (CEA) that improper disposal of clinical waste is an offense, still it remains as a problematic area [5]. Further, there are less special strategies have been established within the local level in order to manage clinical waste in cost effective manner.
According to the report identification of cost effective solutions for disposal of clinical waste is one of the main challenge face by hospitals since it require high technological and capital input. Though, few of the major hospitals operate modern treatments or outsource to a private sector, most hospitals are lacking of cost effective options to dispose clinical waste.
The objective of this paper is to introduce readers about the medical waste management, definition of medical wastes, risks of exposure, medical waste management procedures and control techniques.
Conclusion
Medical wastes should be classified according to their source, typology and risk factors associated with their handling, storage and ultimate disposal. The segregation of waste at source is the key step and reduction, reuse and recycling should be considered in proper perspectives. For proper management of biomedical wastes lack of concern and awareness as well as cost factors are the certain problems/limitat ions. Therefore general public should be educated and must be concerned regarding health hazards that are associated with biomedical wastes. Ultimately, sensitizing ourselves is of utmost importance for protection of environment and our own health. In this paper, introductory materials on the definition of medical waste, medical waste management regulatory acts, the risks of exposure, medical waste management procedures and control techniques are presented.
