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Rational Use of Personal
Protective Equipment: An Environmental Perspective
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Sharang S. Ambadkar
Managing Director
FeelGood Econurture LLP, Mumbai
Dr. Mayur R. Moreker
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology,
Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai
Dr. Shilpa R. Moreker
Consultant Pathologist and Laboratory Director,
NM Medical Centre, Mumbai |
The need for
Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers and its
availability:
While battling
COVID-19; it is vital for healthcare workers to use
appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect
themselves from hospital acquired infections. On 15th May
2020; our Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued revised
guidelines for rational use of PPE for healthcare workers in
non- COVID areas of hospitals. [1] Between 01st March 2020 to
18th May 2020, our PPE industry witnessed 56 times growth;
moving from zero, to production of nearly 4.5 lakh PPE kits
every day (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. PPE industry in India has witnessed 56 times
growth in 60 days
https://www.investindia.gov.in/siru/personal-protectiveequipment-india-INR-7000-cr-industry-in-the-making
It is undoubtedly
of paramount importance to safeguard all our healthcare
workers from COVID-19. But it has been observed that many
times; citizens at large; use PPE like disposable N95
respirators and disposable nitrile gloves; which are actually
meant for healthcare workers working in COVID and non-COVID
areas of our healthcare facilities. Thus, while there may now
not be a scarcity of PPE; an important aspect that is likely
to get neglected is an enormous amount of plastic waste that
is being generated.
Biomedical waste
produced in healthcare facilities during the Covid-19
Pandemic:
A comparison of
the biomedical waste generated only in healthcare facilities;
i.e. isolation wards, institutional quarantine centres, sample
collection centres and laboratories; in different time frames
in a single state i.e. Punjab; shows a total of 72,194 kg
collected in 53 days between 25-03-2020 and 17-05-2020;
increased to 27,083 kg in only 14 days between 18-05-2020 and
31-05-2020; which further increased to 81,400 kg in the 30
days of June 2020. In the city on Mumbai; in March,
bio-medical waste collected from COVID Care centres and
hospitals, was 3.48 lakh kg bio-medical waste generated with
an average of 11,230 kg daily. While in April it was 12,675
kg, in May it increased to 17,631 kg and June saw the biggest
jump with 22,023 kg daily. Until July 15, the daily average
fell to 13,725 kg which was 38% below the average of bio-waste
collected in June. In July, BMC has collected a total of 6.60
lakh kg of bio-medical waste.
Biomedical waste
produced in our homes during the Covid-19 Pandemic:
In these testing pandemic
times, generation of biomedical waste may not be limited to
healthcare facilities alone; but may also; most likely be
added upon by households due to use of disposable PPE like
single use disposable face masks, N95 respirators and gloves;
followed by their inappropriate disposal i.e. disposal without
waste segregation into household and medical waste. (Fig. 2).
.Figure 2. Household waste disposed showing
food waste mixed with other household waste and also the
disposable face masks being segregated by a stick (Picture
Courtesy: Sharang Ambadkar)
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