Hospital Waste Management Research Articles

Impact of MDRs on COVID-19 Patients Among Developing Countries

: The COVID-19 virus has killed more than 6.3 million people worldwide. The misuse of antibiotics increased during epidemics, leading to the spread of MDRs. Although antibiotic use is increasing in both developed and developing countries, the utility level and abuse are higher in developing countries. This could have negative consequences for the vaccine, especially considering that many developing countries reported the emergence of many resistant microbes even before the pandemic. Infectious diseases, social and cultural pressures, and telemedicine facilities can all contribute to the overuse of antibiotics. The emergence of multidrug resistance is a major concern, especially in developing countries where health services are already inadequate and diagnostic capacity and facilities for disease prevention and control are inadequate. This might be the major cause of the extensive spread of such diseases. Improper waste management and disposal in hospitals and communities make it easy for clean water to leak from the area, causing many diseases and causing many antibiotics. The potential for microplastics to be turned into anti-bacterial products is also of particular concern for low- and middle-income countries. In the present review, we aim to examine the impact of multidrug resistance in ESKAPE infections coupled with healthcare-associated infections and determine their risk of secondary infection in COVID-19 patients in low- and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 epidemic from a multidisciplinary perspective, identify the challenge for developing countries and seek solutions to solve this problem.

Assessment Of Knowledge, Attitude And Practice In Hospital Waste Management Among Health Care Professionals In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Kurnool,Andhra Pradesh

Background: Enormous amounts of biomedical waste is generated in our country daily, contains hazardous and infectious materials. It is vital that healthcare professionals has correct knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding biomedical waste management. Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices among doctors, interns, nurses and laboratory technicians regarding biomedical waste management in a tertiary care hospital in south India. Materials and methods: A questionnaire-based cross sectional study was conducted among 150 doctors, 60 interns, 50 nurses and 50 laboratory technicians in government general Hospital in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. Results: Good Knowledge was observed among 135 (90.0%) doctors, 30 (60.0%) laboratory technicians, 29 (58.0%) nurses followed by 35(58.3%) interns, which is statistically significant. Good attitude was shown by 133 (88.7%) doctors, 33 (66.0%) nurses, 26 (52.0%) laboratory technicians, followed by 30 (50.0%) interns and the difference is statistically significant. Good Practices were followed among 134(89.3%) doctors , 30(60%) nurses, 30 (60%) laboratory technicians and 35 (58.3%) interns, which is statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall, knowledge, attitudes, and practices were better among the doctors and nurses than among the interns and laboratory technicians .

Impact of multi-modal learning workshop on awareness and knowledge of health care providers about waste management in India

Hospital waste management is crucial in preventing needle stick injuries and exposure to hazards. Adequate knowledge, appropriate safety measure, and methods of handling the wastes are more important in waste management. : The objective of this project is to study the impact of multi-modal training workshops in improving the knowledge and awareness on biomedical waste management among healthcare workers.An eight-hour onsite training workshop was conducted in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore, and Hyderabad from July to September 2023. A validated pre and post-test questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the workshop. At the end of each workshop, responses were analyzed to study the effectiveness of the workshop and to do a gap analysis on the areas that require strategic learning. Analysis was conducted on data aggregated using the Chi-square test.In the above analysis, the pre-test scoring of these participants was 66%. After the workshop, the post-test scoring was 83% with a significant improvement (p < 0.0001). The pre-test and post-test scores in individual regions were 63% and 78% at Ahmedabad, 71% and 86% at Kolkata, 60% and 86% at Indore, and 68% and 83% at Hyderabad respectively.In healthcare facilities, training plays a key role in preventing health hazards for both employees and patients. Training must involve different types of learning methods tailored to the needs and capability of understanding of the participants. The effectiveness of training must be measured using appropriate tools to study the impact of the learning methods.

Smart Waste Management System: A Case Study of Mugonero District Hospital

Waste monitoring and management remain significant challenges in many hospitals in Rwanda, with current systems proving largely ineffective and leading to poor waste collection practices. Overflowing dustbins, caused by inadequate monitoring and collection, are common in hospital departments, resulting in unpleasant odours and heightened risks of infection. Timely and regular waste collection is crucial to prevent overfilled bins and reduce exposure to hazards. To address these issues, this study proposes a “Smart Waste Management System” tailored for hospital environments. The system utilizes an ESP8266 microcontroller and ultrasonic sensors to monitor waste levels and provide insights into the type and quantity of waste. The data is transmitted to a web application, enabling real-time visualization and interpretation for prompt decision-making. The implementation of this system demonstrates significant improvements, effectively addressing inefficiencies in traditional hospital waste management through real-time monitoring, data transmission, and visualization, making it a practical and efficient solution for enhancing waste management practices.

Infectious Waste Management in General Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia: Perspectives of Healthcare Workers

Infectious Waste Management in General Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia: Perspectives of Healthcare Workers

Food Security Challenges for Hospital Sustainability

Background: Food security and safety are becoming major concerns worldwide. Providing food security and safety in hospitals is particularly challenging since their populations are diverse in dietary and nutritional requirements and more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. The aim of this research is to promote hospital sustainability by addressing food security and food safety. Method: This study uses a quantitative method with a bibliometric study approach. This research has 212 articles from the Scopus database. All the documents were collected simultaneously in August 2022. The selected article encompassed the years from 2017 to 2021, including document type, publication stage, source type, language, and subject area. The data was analyzed using VOSviewer and NVivo analytical tools. Results: The results of the studies on food security and safety increased from 2017-2022 with current trends in hospital sustainability, food waste, and waste management in food. Our study has identified four clusters: hospital food services, hospital sustainability, nutrition, and food safety. Food security is positively correlated with assessment, challenges, measurement, status, and sustainability (Pearson correlation score is 1). Disease control, proper waste management, and environmental health are all associated with food safety (Pearson correlation score ±0.79-0.64). Conclusion: Food safety and security are critical to achieve hospital sustainability, therefore awareness-raising efforts must continue. It is recommended that hospital stakeholders, food service providers; public and private sectors adopt policies and guidelines to disseminate information on food safety and security concerning hospital sustainability.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Hospital Waste Management among Health Care Professionals of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences, Ghorahi, Dang, Nepal.

Introduction: Hospital wastes is defined as the wastes which are produced or extracted as an outcome of the procedures like diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals or research activities or in the production of biologicals. The wastes which are generated from health care institutions subsequently has the maximum probability of infection as well as risks in comparison to any types of waste produced. Inadequate and appropriate knowledge seems to be the major reason behind haphazard management of hospital wastes which directly imposes deleterious effects on environment. The crucial issues in response to mismanagement of hospital waste includes absence of proper waste management, lack of awareness about health problems, insufficient financial and human resources. Management of biomedical wastes under good scale specially, at hospitals setting is directly proportional to dedicated waste management teams, good administration, careful planning, sound organization, underpinning legislation, adequate financing and full participation by trained staff. Biomedical wastes are to be managed accordingly because mishandling of these wastes invites serious health effect. Spread of diseases like Hepatitis-B, C and HIV/AIDS are the major effects seen associated with biomedical wastes. Although health care professionals are aware about the proper consequences of improper disposal of biomedical wastes, the necessary precautions are not yet being practiced properly. Likewise, there is no data available by the researcher regarding hospital waste management that were conducted in the hospital of Lumbani Province. Results: Out of 188 participated, shows that 49.46% of the respondents were of age 20-29 years and 65.96% were female. Most of the respondents have completed their diploma degree 38.29. Likewise, in term of profession, majorities of professionals i.e. 57.98% were nurses while paramedics was 23.47 and only 19.15% were doctors. Regarding working hours per day, maximum work around 5-10 hours a day i.e. 97.87 and only nearly half of the respondents i.e. 42.55% has work experience of 1-5 years and only 12.23% of respondents received tanning of hospital waste management. Most of the respondents 57.98% had good knowledge and 42.02% had poor knowledge regarding hospital waste management. Likewise, 61.70% of the respondents had favorable attitude and only 38.30% of the respondents had unfavorable attitude. Similarly, 59.04% had good practices and only less than half 40.96% had poor practices. Association between level of knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics, only the respondent’s sex (p=0.266) and respondent’s qualification (p=0.102) was highly significant. It shows same sex (p=0.630) and qualification (p=0.102) is highly significant with association of level of attitude and demographic characteristics. But there is no any association between level of practices and demographic characteristics. Conclusion: The finding of this present study concluded that majority of the respondent were in 20 to 29 years of i.e 49.46% where female was high than male 65.96%. Most of the respondents are diploma 38.29% and only 17.1% were bachelor pass. Nurses were in the highest proportional 57.98 followed by paramedic and doctors respectively 25.47%, 19.15%.About level of knowledge more than half 5798% have good knowledge followed by 61.70% respondents had favorable attitude and 59.04% had good practices regarding hospital waste management. Association between level of knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics, only the respondent’s sex (p=0.266) and respondent’s qualification (p=0.102) was highly significant. It shows same sex (p=0.630) and qualification (p=0.102) is highly significant with association of level of attitude and demographic characteristics. But there is no any association between level of practices and demographic characteristics. Keywords: KAP, HWM, HCP, RAHS

Hospital waste management system in Kermanshah: challenges, future and sustainable management with circular economy

Proper hospital waste management poses important concerns due to the risk capacity of hospital waste to health and the environment. Healthcare management approaches have changed in recent years, motivated by the desire to minimize the environmental impact. The review aims to examine the current HCW and considers the local challenges associated with establishing a circular economy (CE) to improve hospital waste management regarding training along Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA). The study found that mean medical and general waste segregation rates in public hospitals were 50.15 and 49.85, respectively. On average, 3.6 kg of waste was generated per bed per day. Analysis revealed a significant correlation between total waste and infectious waste with the number of occupied beds in the hospital (p < 0.05). Updating national laws by the CE approach is necessary. Our insights into circular hospital waste urge establishing a green management team, new training methods, and continuous supervision. Using PDCA to enhance waste segregation, training, and other aspects of hospital waste management is vital.

Analysis of Environmental Footprints of Health Centers in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, India

The experiment was conducted during December, 2020 to June, 2021 at Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India to evaluate the ecological footprint of 15 hospitals that were chosen at random. The purpose of this study was to assess the ecological impact of these medical facilities-which included both government and private hospitals—across five blocks of district. The ecological footprint framework was utilized to analyze factors such as food waste, solid waste, water consumption and energy consumption and material use, determining their impact on biocapacity. The average ecological footprints of the hospitals ranged from 116.5 to 271.4 global hectares (g ha). The ecological footprints varied across different blocks as follows Jawalamukhi (349.7 g ha), Dharamshala (535.6 g ha), Nurpur (698.3 g ha), Palampur (722.3 g ha), and Kangra (814.0 g ha). Notably, the hospitals in the Jawalamukhi block were the most sustainable, exhibiting the lowest ecological footprint. These results underscore the significant environmental impact of hospitals and the urgent need for initiatives to reduce their ecological footprint, particularly in the Kangra block. The results emphasize the importance of sustainable resource utilization in healthcare institutions to minimize their ecological footprint and promote environmental sustainability. To achieve a balance between providing healthcare services and protecting the environment, the research recommends extensive actions to enhance the effectiveness of resource utilization, waste management, and energy consumption in hospitals.

Environmental Management Strategies for Cost-Effective Waste Management in Hospitals

General background: Waste management in hospitals is crucial due to its environmental impact. Specific background: RSU Al Islam HM Mawardi Krian struggles with waste management while adhering to PSAP No. 1 of 2010 and maintaining efficiency. Knowledge gap: Limited research exists on applying environmental management accounting and operational strategies for hospital waste management in line with accounting standards. Aims: This study analyzes the impact of environmental management accounting and strategies on waste management costs at RSU Al Islam HM Mawardi Krian, assessing compliance with PSAP standards. Results: The hospital has implemented processes of identification, recognition, measurement, recording, presentation, and disclosure per PSAP No. 1 of 2010, managing waste effectively and incurring environmental costs. Novelty: Offers insights into aligning hospital environmental cost management with government standards. Implications: Structured environmental accounting and strategies can enhance waste management, improve hospital reputation, ensure regulatory compliance, and potentially increase revenue. Highlights: RSU Al Islam HM Mawardi complies with PSAP No. 1 of 2010 in managing waste costs. Proper environmental accounting improves transparency and operational efficiency. Structured strategies can boost hospital reputation and revenue. Keywords: Environmental Management Accounting, Operational Strategies, Waste Management Costs, Hospital Compliance

Selection of an Appropriate Technology for Hospital Waste Management in Quetta City, Pakistan

Selection of an Appropriate Technology for Hospital Waste Management in Quetta City, Pakistan

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Medical Waste Management in Medium-sized Hospital among Health Care Workers

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Medical Waste Management in Medium-sized Hospital among Health Care Workers

Achieving the sustainable waste management of medical plastic packaging using a life cycle assessment approach

Hospital waste management often classifies all waste, including uncontaminated plastic packaging, as hazardous, leading to incineration as the primary treatment method. While effective for safe treatment, incineration incurs high costs and significant environmental impacts. This study explores an alternative approach through the segregation and sustainable management of plastic packaging waste derived from medical device use to mitigate these environmental consequences. Using a Life Cycle Assessment, this research evaluates and compares the environmental impacts of three waste disposal scenarios of plastic packaging: hazardous waste incineration, general waste landfill, and plastic recycling. The analysis focuses on 1 kg of plastic packaging waste generated from medical devices at the Limb Vascular Center, Konkuk University Hospital, South Korea. The results show that general waste landfill has an environmental impact of 79.7 % and plastic recycling has an impact of just 11.8 %, highlighting their significantly lower environmental impacts compared to hazardous waste incineration. These findings underscore the significant benefits of adopting more sustainable waste management practices in healthcare and offering valuable insights for enhancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices within hospitals.

Comparative life cycle assessment of hospital waste management scenarios in Isfahan, Iran: Evaluating environmental impacts and strategies for improved healthcare sustainability

This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of hospital waste management scenarios in Isfahan, Iran. Daily hospital waste generation totals 20 tons, with 44 % infectious and 56 % non-infectious waste. The non-infectious stream comprises 40 % food waste. Pyrolysis, chemical disinfection, composting, and material recovery were evaluated across ten environmental impact categories using TRACI 2014 methodology. Composting and material recovery reduce smog-forming emissions by 126.79 kg O3 eq/ton and 129.02 kg O3 eq/ton, respectively, and fossil fuel depletion by 255.04 MJ surplus/ton and 471.97 MJ surplus/ton compared to incineration. Chemical disinfection of infectious waste shows lower global warming potential (859.89 kg CO2 eq/ton) than pyrolysis (1483.15 kg CO2 eq/ton). The third scenario, prioritizing composting and material recovery, minimizes ecotoxicity with lowest emissions of cadmium (0.33 g/ton) and nickel (16.23 g/ton) to air, and arsenic (0.003 g/ton) and chromium (0.28 g/ton) to water. This study addresses a rarely assessed system in LCA literature, offering valuable insights for improving waste management in similar contexts worldwide. Recommendations include developing regulatory frameworks, investing in infrastructure, promoting collaboration, implementing training programs, and adopting circular economy principles. The research contributes to building life cycle thinking capability within the Iranian healthcare sector through stakeholder engagement, workshops, and public dissemination of findings.

Generation and Composition of Medical Waste in Lafia

Background: Effective management of medical waste is a prerequisite for efficient delivery of healthcare services, human health and environmental protection; and the availability of adequate data with regard to medical waste generation and composition is generally considered to be fundamental in the development of efficient medical waste management. However, in Lafia, the state capital of Nasarawa State, Nigeria and a rapidly developing town, there is inadequate information on the medical waste generation and composition. This study thus sets to evaluate the medical waste composition and generation in Lafia by direct observation during both rainy and dry seasons Methodology: The study involved the survey of a cross section of three (3) tertiary health institution. Findings: The study showed that there is significant variation in healthcare waste management practices and sustainability factors (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) (3Rs). The test showed that there prominent method of healthcare waste management at the studied institution was practice of incineration, pit burning and burying and frequency of waste disposal, leaving out other new and improved technologies for proper waste managements. This study aims to evaluate the medical waste generation and composition in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria across public and private hospitals. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will avail resourceful data that will be needed for effective hospital waste management and other planning and design works.

Evaluation of Solid Medical Waste Management

Medical solid waste management still faces obstacles several problems such as the lack of use of complete personal protective equipment (PPE) by officers and the absence of special routes for transporting waste. This study aims to evaluate medical solid waste management in hospitals. The method used was qualitative with a purposive sampling technique of 10 informants at the location concerned. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and document review, then processed and analyzed using a triangulation table of sources and methods. Even though hospitals have SOPs that are socialized to staff, adequate human resources, funds, facilities and infrastructure, not all of them meet the requirements. The waste reduction process has not been implemented, TPHS B3 has been used as a rest area for officers, the sulo has not been closed because medical waste is buried in non-medical waste, and there is no waste transportation route available. The research results show that the management of medical and non-medical waste is not fully in accordance with applicable regulations. Therefore, it is recommended that hospitals reduce waste, monitor waste officers, and provide special routes for transporting waste in accordance with applicable regulations

Analysis of The Implementation of Environmental Costs Case Study at Banjarmasin Islamic Hospital

This study aims to uncover waste management activities and environmental costs of environmental cost reporting at the Islamic Hospital of Banjarmasin. This researcher uses a qualitative paradigm with a case study design. The research scope is the Unit of Environmental Health Sanitation with the accounting process of environmental management, hospital waste management's data focus, and expenditures for waste costs. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations; secondary data, through documentation. The results revealed that environmental management accounting systems in 2019 and 2020 found hidden environmental costs from waste management cost reports in the Financial Statements. For example, the environmental cost report applied to the SKL Unit revealed Rp. 677,646,500 and Rp. 459,521,600 not presented as an environmental cost in 2019 and 2020. The implementation of environmental cost accounting through environmental cost reporting at the Islamic Hospital of Banjarmasin revealed that special reports in environmental management accounting could be used as information by the management of the Islamic Hospital of Banjarmasin in planning and controlling environmental responsibility activities. The study results also revealed that the environmental cost report facilitated the direction of the Islamic Hospital of Banjarmasin in making decisions related to environmental costs and provided information for stakeholders that the hospital had been responsible for maintaining environmental health.

A review on hazards and treatment methods of released antibiotics in hospitals wastewater during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drugs and related goods are widely used in order to promote public health and the quality of life. One of the most serious environmental challenges affecting public health is the ongoing presence of antibiotics in the effluents generated by pharmaceutical industries and hospitals. Antibiotics cannot be entirely removed from wastewater using the traditional wastewater treatment methods. Unmetabolized antibiotics generated by humans can be found in urban and livestock effluent. The antibiotic present in effluent contributes to issues with resistance to antibiotics and the creation of superbugs. Over the recent 2years, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has substantially boosted hospital waste volume. In this situation, a detailed literature review was conducted to highlight the harmful effects of untreated hospital waste and outline the best approaches to manage it. Approximately 50 to 70% of the emerging contaminants prevalent in the hospital wastewater can be removed using traditional treatment strategies. This paper emphasizes the numerous treatment approaches for effectively eliminating emerging contaminants and antibiotics from hospital wastewater and provides an overview of global hospital wastewater legislation and guidelines on hospital wastewater administration. Around 90% of ECs might be eliminated by biological or physical treatment techniques when used in conjunction with modern oxidation techniques. According to this research, hybrid methods are the best approach for removing antibiotics and ECs from hospital wastewater. The document outlines the many features of effective hospital waste management and might be helpful during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, when waste creation on all hospitals throughout the globe has considerably increased.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Hospital Waste Management Practices Among Tertiary Care Hospitals and Primary Health Centres in KPK: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Assessing the Effectiveness of Hospital Waste Management Practices Among Tertiary Care Hospitals and Primary Health Centres in KPK: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Frequency of occupational health hazards and factors responsible among the waste handlers at the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi.

Hospital waste handlers (HWHs) are in contact with contaminated waste that put them at risk for occupational health hazards. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of occupational health hazards and identify factors contributing to them among the HWHs at tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. A cross sectional survey was conducted from January 2021 till June 2022 on 417 conveniently selected HWHs of the public and private tertiary care hospitals of the Karachi including three Public sector hospitals (Civil Hospital Karachi, National Institute of Child Health, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center) and five private sector hospitals (Sohail University Hospital, Darulsehat Hospital, Kharadar General Hospital, Patel Hospital and Hamdard University Hospital) using a structured questionnaire. Chi Square test was applied to determine the differences in occurrence of different hazardous outcomes (Needle stick injury, Sharp Injury, Eye Symptoms, Skin symptoms, Cough) between different groups of age, gender, type of hospitals and status of being trained in Hospital Waste Management (HWM). Around half of the HWHs (52.6%) labeled the bins of the waste according to their level of hazard. Only 17.9% disinfected the infected waste. The proportion of participants who experienced needle stick and sharp injury in the last six months was 16.3% and 15.8% respectively. Majority of them used disposable gloves (95.7%) and face masks (94.3%). One thirds had access to aprons while only 10.5% had access to protective shoes at their work place. HWHs of private sector were significantly less likely to experience Needle stick injuries, skin symptoms, cough, breathing difficulty and throat burning. The HWM practices in tertiary care hospitals of Karachi is far from being satisfactory. HWHs must be trained and monitored for safe disposal of waste.