Need of Biomedical Waste Management System in Hospitals – An Emerging issue – A Review

Praveen Mathur,Sangeeta Patan,Anand S Shobhawat

doi:10.12944/cwe.7.1.18

Abstract

Medical care is vital for our life and health, but the waste generated from medical activities represents a real problem of living nature and human world. Improper management of waste generated in health care facilities causes a direct health impact on the community, the health care workers and on the environment Every day, relatively large amount of potentially infectious and hazardous waste are generated in the health care hospitals and facilities around the world. Indiscriminate disposal of BMW or hospital waste and exposure to such waste possess serious threat to environment and to human health that requires specific treatment and management prior to its final disposal. The present review article deals with the basic issues as definition, categories, problems relating to biomedical waste and procedure of handling and disposal method of Biomedical Waste Management. It also intends to create awareness amongst the personnel involved in health care unit.

Highlights

Biomedical waste management has recently emerged as an issue of major concern to hospitals, nursing home authorities and to the environment. the bio-medical wastes generated from health care units depend upon a number of factors such as waste management methods, type of health care units, occupancy of healthcare units, specialization of healthcare units, ratio of reusable items in use, availability of infrastructure and resources etc
World Health Organization states that 85% of hospital wastes are non-hazardous, whereas 10% are infectious and 5% are noninfectious but they are included in hazardous wastes
We need to consider innovative and radical measures to clean up the distressing picture of lack of civic concern on the part of hospitals and slackness in government implementation of bare minimum of rules, as waste generation biomedical waste imposes increasing direct and indirect costs on society

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Biomedical waste management has recently emerged as an issue of major concern to hospitals, nursing home authorities and to the environment. the bio-medical wastes generated from health care units depend upon a number of factors such as waste management methods, type of health care units, occupancy of healthcare units, specialization of healthcare units, ratio of reusable items in use, availability of infrastructure and resources etc.. The problems of the waste disposal in the hospitals and other health-care institutions have become issues of increasing concern. 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 hospital waste like body parts, organs, tissues, blood and body fluids along with soiled linen, cotton, bandage and plaster casts from infected and contaminated areas are very essential to be properly collected, segregated, stored, transported, treated and disposed of in safe manner to prevent nosocomial or hospital acquired infection.

Chemical Methods

Schedule 1. Categories of Bio-Medical Waste

Schedule II: Colour Coding and Type Of Container for Disposal of Bio-Medical Wastes

Findings

CONCLUSION