Healthcare waste management

Abstract

This research inspects the existing waste policy of different hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad with a bed capacity of 300-600. The collection, segregation, transportation and disposal of health care waste were observed, and the problematic areas were documented. In general, the waste is collected in mixed form, stored, transported and disposed of along with the domestic waste. The concentration of heavy metals, hazardous organic compounds and toxic elements were also found in health care waste. During the research, negligence and omissions were witnessed in managing the hazardous and infectious waste. Improper collection, segregation and transportation methods of infectious waste increased the threat to the safety of patients and staff. Moreover, inappropriate segregation methods were at the lead, which increased the amount of infectious waste and thus higher cost for their disposal. At many health care units, authorities are unable to install suitable system for numerous reasons such as, insufficient financial resources, non-availability of proper technologies and lack of professional training on handling health care waste. This research determines how well the people are aware of hazards generated through medical waste management and is there any precautionary measures taken by them. This research represents a first attempt to identify specific awareness, attitudes, and behaviors towards infectious waste management. It also refers the significant awareness regarding the relative importance of several health care waste components. The guidelines for management and handling of health care waste is summarized, describing the different categories of waste, recommended color coded containers for storage and treatment options are recommended. Appropriate technologies, Institutional trainings and operational plans are proposed to reduce the impact of health care waste on public as well as on environment. These findings will help in training programs in developing curricula and assessment tools focused on healthcare waste management competencies necessary in the health care units.