A TECHNO-ECONOMIC NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEDICAL PLASTICS AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Our 21st Year of Publication
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Cover Story

Bio-Medical Waste Management Emphasizing Plastic Waste In Healthcare Organization

Major Sources

  • Govt. hospitals/private hospitals/nursing homes/ dispensaries

  • Primary health centers

  • Medical colleges and research centers/ paramedic services

  • Veterinary colleges and animal research centers

  • Blood banks/mortuaries/ autopsy centers

  • Biotechnology institutions

  • Production units

Minor Sources

  • Physicians/ dentists’ clinics

  • Animal houses/slaughter houses

  • Blood donation camps

  • Vaccination centers

  • Acupuncturists/psychiatric clinics / cosmetic piercing

  • Funeral services

  • Institutions for disabled persons

Problems Relating To Biomedical Waste

A major issue related to current Bio-Medical waste management in many hospitals is that the implementation of Bio-Waste regulation is unsatisfactory as some hospitals are disposing of waste in a haphazard, improper and
indiscriminate manner. Lack of segregation practices, results in mixing of hospital wastes with general waste making the whole waste stream hazardous. Inappropriate segregation ultimately results in an incorrect method of waste
disposal.

Inadequate Bio-Medical waste management thus will cause environmental pollution, unpleasant smell, growth and multiplication of vectors like insects, rodents and worms and may lead to the transmission of diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and AIDS through injuries from syringes and needles contaminated with human.

Various communicable diseases, which spread through water, sweat, blood, body fluids and contaminated organs, are important to be prevented. The Bio Medical Waste scattered in and around the hospitals invites flies, insects,
rodents, cats and dogs that are responsible for the spread of communication disease like Plague and Rabies.

Rag pickers in the hospital, sorting out the garbage are at a risk of getting Tetanus and HIV infections. The recycling of disposable syringes, needles, IV sets and other article like glass bottles without proper sterilization are responsible for Hepatitis, HIV, and other viral diseases. It becomes primary responsibility of Health administrators to manage hospital waste in most safe and eco-friendly manner.

The problem of bio-medical waste disposal in the hospitals and other healthcare establishments has become an issue of increasing concern, prompting hospital administration to seek new ways of scientific, safe and cost effective management of the waste, and keeping their personnel informed about the advances in this area. The need of proper hospital waste management system is of prime importance and is an essential component of quality assurance in hospitals.

Recommendations

  • For the use of incinerator Training should be given to some number of persons from staff

  • Specific fund should be allocated for the use of incinerator.

When you see the amount of waste generated in a hospital, plastic represents a very large proportion. While much of the plastic used at hospitals has a high value, little of it is recycled. Within facilities, employees need to be made aware of what plastics are recyclable, and there’s the need for space to collect, sort and store recyclables until they can be picked up.

  • Every hospital should have special boxes to use as dustbin for BMW

  • Bio-medical waste should not be mixed with other waste of Municipal Corporation.

  • Private hospitals should also be allowed to use incinerator, which is installed, in govt. hospital. For this purpose a specific fee can be charged from private hospitals.

  • Special vehicle i.e. bio-medical waste vehicle should be started to collect waste from private hospitals and private medical clinics and carry it up to the main incinerator.

  • As provided by bio-medical waste rules, the whole of the waste should be fragmented into colours due to their hazardous nature.

  • Bio-medical waste Management Board can be established in each District.

  • Either judicial powers should be given to the management board or special court should be established in the matters of environment pollution for imposing fines and awarding damages etc.

  • Housekeeping staff wear protective devices such as gloves, face masks, gowned, while handling the waste.

  • There is biomedical waste label on waste carry bags and waste carry trolley and also poster has put on the wall adjacent to the bins (waste) giving details about the type of waste that has to dispose in the baggage as per biomedical waste management rule. Carry bags also have the biohazard symbol on them.

For hospitals, some of the key challenges in implementing waste recovery include changing

behaviour, finding storage space for waste and bins and the logistics of moving waste. It is essential to minimise contamination by other materials in the PVC bins. This project ensures that good planning, ongoing education and liaison with the hospital’s waste management team and contractors are put in place to help them overcome these issues.

New Strategies Of Management

Keeping the above fact in mind, the following management strategies are proposed to overcome the problem of improper disposal of Bio - medical wastes.

  • Segregation of bio - medical wastes should be done at the sources of generation as per the categories mentioned in the rule.

  • The classification of Bio - medical waste with respect to color coding container has to be done.

  • The transportation of bio-medical waste is to be done through desiccated vehicle specially constructed for the purpose.

  • Proper treatment of different wastes is to be done after the classification.

  • All the generations of bio - medical waste should adopt universal precautions and appropriate safety measures while doing the therapeutic and diagnostic activities and also handling the bio - medical wastes.

  • Training should be conducted to all categories of staff in appropriate language / medium and in an acceptable manner.

  • The annual reports, accident reports as required under Bio - medical waste rule should be submitted to the concerned authority as per B.M.W. rules formula.

  • Establish effective and sound recycling policy for plastic recycling and get in touch with authorized manufacturers.

  • There should be co-ordination between hospitals and outside agencies or non government organizations.

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