A queueing-inventory model to control the congestion of patients and medical waste in the medical centers, a case study

Abstract

During epidemics, controlling the patients’ congestion is a way to reduce disease spreading. Raising medical demands converts hospitals into one of the sources of disease outbreaks. The long patient waiting time in queues to receive medical services leads to more casualties. The rise of patients increases their waste, which is another source of disease outbreak. In this study, a mathematical model is developed to control patients’ congestion in a medical center and manage their waste, considering environmental issues. Besides a queueing system controlling the patients’ congestion in the treatment center, another queue is considered for vehicles. An inventory model is employed to prevent waste accumulation. The developed model is solved and reaches an exact solution in small size, and obtains an acceptable solution in large size using the Grasshopper algorithm. A case study is considered to demonstrate the model’s applicability. Also, Sensitivity analysis and valuable managerial insights are presented.