Medical waste management at Idaman Hospital in Banjarbaru during the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Covid-19 coronavirus spreads among persons via droplets from the nose or mouth of infectious persons when they breathe or cough. These droplets land on a surface, which another person then touches. When that person then touches her eyes, nose or mouth, the virus enters the new host. The virus can also infect directly when the droplets get inhaled by someone near the infected person. Another problem in the covid-19 pandemic is hazardous medical waste, which can become another vector for a viral infection to hospital patients, medical staff, and the community around the hospital. Covid-19-contaminated medical waste consisting of used needles and infusion kits, PPE, masks and gloves, used paper and plastic food containers, bandages and tissue paper increased the waste volume at Idaman Hospital Banjarbaru by 30%, requiring optimization of waste management. This study aims to identify medical waste potentials and impacts at Idaman Hospital in Banjarbaru during the covid-19 pandemic and evaluate covid-19 medical waste management at Idaman Hospital in Banjarbaru. This study utilizes the descriptive observational method by collecting secondary data. According to the types of waste, the study indicates that medical waste management at Idaman Hospital in Banjarbaru already meets the Regulation of Environment and Forestry Minister Number 56-year 2015, including reducing and separating hazardous and poisonous waste storage, transportation, and management.