Effect of medical waste on health of population and environment in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The paper presents problems of care and the current state of the impact of medical waste on human health and the environment in the selected area of the Republic of Serbia. In general environmental pollution, medical waste does not take up much, but its specific characteristics are potentially among the most dangerous types of waste. Inadequate care can affect the health of the medical workers, the population and the surrounding areas in which the waste is stored, but also lead to outbreaks of global infection and poisoning. In order to testing the current state of the impact of medical waste on human health, and the possible unwanted consequences that it can produce, if it is treated in an inappropriate manner, a survey was conducted in the rural and urban environment. Research has shown that most of the respondents, unused drugs throw away into a garbage, which is mixed with municipal waste, and without prior separation it is deposited on the city landfill, and according to the Likert scale, more than 50% of the respondents partially or completely agree with the claim that the unorganized landfills are not sufficiently safe and pose a risk for the possible spread of the disease, as well as that no containers are placed in the public places for the disposal of medical (pharmaceutical) waste. Respondents believe that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environmental Protection should take responsibility for the safe management of medical waste, where over 80% of respondents expressed their willingness to store drugs at suitable locations in their places.