Medical Waste Management System Research Articles

GIS-technologies and algorithm for developing regional systems for handling medical waste on the example of three regions

Introduction. GIS is a modern computer technology designed for collecting, storing, analyzing and visualizing spatial data – mapping. GIS is also actively used in healthcare to solve many regional problems, including optimization and management of healthcare resources. Over last decade, many researchers have used mathematical software models for healthcare waste management. A review of the literature shows facility location, risk to the public, and economic feasibility to be among the issues that have been extensively covered in the literature. Designing a reverse logistics network using mathematical software tools is an efficient and effective way to manage healthcare waste. The objective of the study. To determine the optimal approach to creating a functional model of a system for managing medical waste of class B and C using GIS-technologies for each of the three regions, based on the characteristics of each. Materials and methods. Medical institutions in three regions (St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region and Krasnoyarsk Territory) as sources of medical waste generation were considered taking into account their capacity and specialization. The composition and volumes of waste by class were determined using a calculation method based on indicative waste generation standards. The identification of local technologies for the neutralization of medical waste existing in medical institutions was carried out. The obtained data was processed statistically and displayed on electronic maps for subsequent use in GIS technologies, as well as for the development and justification of a waste management system for medical institutions, taking into account the prospects for the development of healthcare. Results. Based on the analysis of data on medical waste of classes B and C in individual medical institutions, as well as an analysis of the power of existing technologies for neutralizing this waste using GIS technologies, proposals were developed to improve the medical waste management system in three regions. The proposals are aimed at improving the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the regions over a five-year period and take into account the features of the existing transport infrastructure and the requirements of sanitary legislation. Limitations. The model of a medical waste management system using GIS technologies was used only for managing waste of classes B and C. Conclusion. To ensure the safe and environmentally sustainable functioning of the waste management system of classes B and C in the regions, it is necessary to apply an integrated approach based on GIS technologies. This approach should take into account the regional characteristics of the management of the medical waste disposal system and its economic feasibility and take into account the regional characteristics of transport logistics and the prospects for the development of healthcare.

Internet of things-based smart medical waste management system

Smart medical waste management is significant during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This research presents a smart medical waste management system with real-time monitoring of medical waste data and an end-user application. The functional and technical design of a smart trolley by integrating various sensors for authenticated automatic lid opening and closing, waste level, weight, and storage time monitoring are discussed. Subsequently, the implementation of a cloud server and web application that provide automatic notifications to stakeholders are also presented. The users can monitor the entire process to take actions and approvals whenever necessary. The experiments are conducted to test the functionalities of the smart trolley and web application prototype. The results showed that the sensing system is efficient and avoids manual checking by sending necessary notifications. Healthcare institutions can adopt the proposed system for medical waste transfer to ensure process transparency, worker safety, and environmental cleanliness.

Evaluation of solid medical waste management system in Undata Regional General Hospital, Palu city, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Waste is an environmental problem that is still not fully resolved properly even though the resulting impact has a major effect on environmental pollution, especially solid medical waste. The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of solid medical waste at Undata Hospital based on its sources and types, calculate the average weight of solid medical waste generated per day, and evaluate the solid medical waste management system with sorting, packaging, collection and transportation modes in accordance with the criteria of Permen of Environment and Forestry Number 56 of 2015 and Permenkes Number 2 of 2023. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive research type. This research was conducted in August-September 2023. The sampling technique in this study used Purposive Sampling, with 18 informants selected from each unit/room/installation at Undata Hospital, Palu City. Based on the results of the study, it was found that every day Undata Palu Hospital produces domestic waste as much as ± 270 kg / day. The results of the evaluation of the solid medical waste management system at Undata Palu Hospital show that basically it is quite effective but not optimal, because the storage process shows non-compliance with the guidelines for medical waste management by the Ministry of Health Number 2 of 2023, namely storage in TPS which should not be more than 2x24 hours, but in fact the accumulation of solid medical waste is stored for 1 month in the LB3 TPS due to delays in transportation by third parties. This causes a large amount of solid waste in the TPS so that the TPS becomes full and dangerous because the waste undergoes a process of decomposition and decay, which is harmful to the environment and human health. Undata Hospital needs to maximize the procurement of internal medical waste processing equipment (incineration equipment) which needs to be supported by the Environmental Agency and the relevant Health Office to prevent environmental pollution from medical activities.

Overview of the Medical Waste Management System by Health Human Resources (SDK) at the Putri Ayu Public Health Center, Jambi City in 2024

According to the Jambi City Health Service Profile in 2021-2022, Putri Ayu Health Center is one of the inpatient health centers in Jambi City which is also acontributes the largest amount of medical waste with the amount of waste is 615 kg out of a total of 7804.1 kg of medical waste from health centers in Jambi City, so it has the potential to spread disease if medical waste is not managed properly. This research uses qualitative research methods with a descriptive approach. Data was obtained from 8 informants by conducting in-depth interviews and observations in May 2023 - April 2024 using qualitative research data analysis software. In the input aspect (1) Human Resources in the quantity aspect are sufficient, while the qualifications are not appropriate because they come from general administration. (2) Facilities and infrastructure are not sufficient and if there is damage, goods will be procured and reported to envinronmental health authority. Meanwhile, in the process aspect (3) Sorting is carried out by each waste producing poly unit by labeling the type of waste, date and poly, (4) The container used at the Putri Ayu Public Health Center meets the standards of Minister of Health Regulation Number 18 of 2020 (5) Transportation is carried out more than once every 2 days by PT Anggrek (6). Storage is carried out at TPS with a time span of 2-3 days at the latest. There are still input aspects that do not comply with standards (in the case of this research, namely the quality of human resources) causing disruption to process aspects, such as less than optimal management performance in managing medical waste in the container, transport and storage processes.

Solid medical waste management system at the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Puri Husada Tembilahan 2023

Solid medical waste management system at the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Puri Husada Tembilahan 2023

. Medical waste management and disposal in emergency military service situations

The article aims to analyze and justify the need for improving the safety system for handling and recycling medical waste in order to optimize the medical waste management in emergency situations of military service. The legal acts of the Russian Federation and the regulatory acts of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation providing for the service safety requirements for military personnel, including the medical waste management system and their disposal, were analyzed. The concept of medical waste and its role in the structure of production and consumption waste was explored. The features of medical waste management in military emergencies were identified. The requirements for medical waste disposal plants, including productivity, compactness, reliability, safety for the personnel and the environment and mobility, were specified. A high-temperature installation for the medical waste disposal was developed, its technical characteristics and examples of positive testing in medical institutions were identified. The analysis and the results obtained are an obligatory condition for improving the medical waste management system in emergency military situations.

A novel parallel heuristic method to design a sustainable medical waste management system

Efficient management of waste generated in healthcare systems is crucial to minimize its environmental impact and ensure public health. Sustainable medical waste management (MWM) systems require careful network design, which can be achieved through efficient optimization techniques. This work develops a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) to formulate the problem, a two-step MILP (TSMILP) to generate quality lower bounds, and a novel parallel heuristic algorithm to configure a sustainable waste management system including waste generation centers (WGCs), waste treatment centers (WTCs), waste recycling centers (WRCs), waste disposal centers (WDCs) and waste incineration centers (WICs). Such a hybrid methodology has not been yet offered in the literature wherein the aim is to address strategic (establishment of facilities), tactical (employment of transportation system), and operational decisions (transportation planning) optimally in large networks. As reflected in the literature, there is a huge gap in efficiency and application of combinatorial optimization, and parallel computing in sustainable MWM systems, where the suggested MILPs' solvers are not technically capable of discovering quality solutions in reasonable runtimes on large-sized instances. Thus, we suggest a novel heuristic equipped with parallel computing to share the complexity of the problem, with all the CPU cores to shorten runtime. Comparing the results generated by the parallel heuristic with those of the sequential heuristic, the MILP, and the TSMILP on three sets of benchmark instances using Nemenyi's post-hoc procedure for Friedman's test, it is inferred that the parallel heuristic is so effective in coping with the problem, and produces high-quality solutions, especially on the large-sized set. Finally, sensitivity analysis is adopted to analyze the effects of parameters on the objective values and provide useful managerial insights.

Pendampingan Teknis Dalam Analisa Timbulan Limbah Medis Padat Pada Rumah Sakit SMS Berjaya Kabupaten Kolaka

Medical waste is produced in hospitals by a variety of means, including solid waste, gas, and liquid. Therefore, it is necessary to support the analysis of the production of solid medical waste at RS SMS Berjaya District of Kolaka. The purpose of this technical support is to find out the monthly quantity of solid medical waste as well as the solid medical waste disposal system carried out at SMS Berjaya Hospital. Use both qualitative and quantitative descriptions. The accompanying results showed that the solid medical waste produced from medical activities in each room during the observation was a source of non-acute infectious garbage. Class II and III hospital facilities produce the highest percentage of medical garbage 23.13 kg/day (46.26%), and the smallest unit of medical waste in each room is 2.59 kg/ day (5.18%). And in the Infectious Object Garbage, the largest in Class II & III facilities is 1.32 kg/day (29,53%). And Nifas/Perinatology facilities are much smaller than 0.4kg/day (8.95%). SMS Berjaya Hospital has a solid, well-implemented medical waste management system.

Evaluation of Waste Management Practices in Healthcare Establishments in Khulna City

Healthcare waste management poses a growing public health and environmental challenge in Bangladesh, with specific concerns cantered around Khulna city, which is third largest city having 59.57 square kilometers and the whole district covers almost 4394.46 square kilometers. This research paper presents an assessment of waste management practices in healthcare establishments within the city. The study investigates healthcare waste management in both public and private establishments of selected main 11 healthcare centers where this city have 406 health-care or diagnostic center, estimates total medical waste production based on patient capacities, evaluates the overall waste management cost, and emphasizes the significance of medical waste management while exploring eco-friendly options. The methodology includes a comprehensive analysis, data tables, and a comparison of the present and proposed medical waste management systems.

The environmental impact of medical waste: challenges and legal solutions

This paper analyses the impact of medical waste on the environment and identified the challenges and legal solutions for its management. Medical waste is a major global problem with significant environmental and public health impacts. The challenges of medical waste management, as well as the lack of adequate regulations, poor management practices and lack of awareness and education are problems that need to be addressed to improve environmental quality. An integrated legal framework, the creation of a reporting and monitoring system, the implementation of a system of extended producer responsibility, international collaboration and adequate financing of medical waste management should be considered in order to create an efficient and sustainable medical waste management system.

Evaluation of Solid Medical Waste Management in Bogor Regional Public Hospitals

Healthcare facilities generate medical waste. If not properly managed, medical waste can damage the environment and spread diseases. Many hospitals in Indonesia do not adhere to medical waste management regulations. This study aimed to evaluate the management of solid medical waste at four public hospitals in Bogor District, Indonesia. A case study design was used to obtain a comprehensive description of the solid medical waste management activities in the hospitals. Data were collected through direct observations, interviews, and document reviews. This study revealed that the medical waste generated in all hospitals was infectious, pathological, pharmaceutical, chemical, and cytotoxic, totaling approximately 4,000-12,000 kg. Hospitals A, B, C, and D fulfilled the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. P56 of 2015 criteria, achieving compliance rates of 77%, 83.78%, 83.3%, and 86.48%, respectively. However, several activities of the hospitals did not meet the standards for waste reduction, segregation, on-site transport, temporary storage, and human resource quality. It is important that hospitals establish comprehensive and compliant medical waste management systems.

An innovative medical waste management system in a smart city using XAI and vehicle routing optimization

Background The management of medical waste is a complex task that necessitates effective strategies to mitigate health risks, comply with regulations, and minimize environmental impact. In this study, a novel approach based on collaboration and technological advancements is proposed. Methods By utilizing colored bags with identification tags, smart containers with sensors, object recognition sensors, air and soil control sensors, vehicles with Global Positioning System (GPS) and temperature humidity sensors, and outsourced waste treatment, the system optimizes waste sorting, storage, and treatment operations. Additionally, the incorporation of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technology, leveraging scikit-learn, xgboost, catboost, lightgbm, and skorch, provides real-time insights and data analytics, facilitating informed decision-making and process optimization. Results The integration of these cutting-edge technologies forms the foundation of an efficient and intelligent medical waste management system. Furthermore, the article highlights the use of genetic algorithms (GA) to solve vehicle routing models, optimizing waste collection routes and minimizing transportation time to treatment centers. Conclusions Overall, the combination of advanced technologies, optimization algorithms, and XAI contributes to improved waste management practices, ultimately benefiting both public health and the environment.

Management of Medical Waste at the Takalar Regency Regional General Hospital, Makassar City

Wastewater originating from hospitals is a very potential source of water pollution. This is because hospital wastewater contains quite high levels of organic compounds, contains dangerous chemical compounds and contains pathogenic microorganisms that can cause disease. The aim of the research is to find out how medical waste is managed including: how to store, collect, collect, transport, manage and final storage which is carried out at the regional general hospital in Takalar, Makassar City. The research method used is a descriptive survey research type, namely to find out how medical waste is managed in the regional general hospital in Takalar, Makassar City. This research was conducted at a hospital to look at the medical waste management system. Room selection is based on rooms that produce a lot of medical waste from hospital services.

A data-driven digital transformation approach for reverse logistics optimization in a medical waste management system

COVID-19's aftereffects have had a significant impact on our daily lives. The recent pandemic caused by the new coronavirus epidemic has increased the production of infectious medical waste (IMW) and demand for medical care and protective equipment. Although national and local initiatives are primarily concerned with saving lives and bolstering local economies, hazardous waste management is essential for reducing long-term human and environmental health threats. In this situation, establishing a dependable and efficient reverse logistics network of IMW can prevent the spread of viruses. Few studies have been conducted on this topic and those that have rarely considered how to operate a network of multiple medical waste generation centres (MWGCs) cost-effectively and risk-averse. This study proposes a framework for reducing the accumulation of IMW products using reverse logistics in the context of medical waste management. The optimal values of the multiple objective functions were determined using a multi-objective optimization model. Our proposed framework considers four objective functions and their respective constraints while using data-driven digital transformation in reverse logistics energy optimization for managing single-use medical waste.

A Review of Medical Waste, its Environmental Consequences and Management Strategies: A Burning Issue of the Present Day Society

Medical waste has enormous consequences for human health and the environment. It has the potential to cause severe disease, if not death. If drugs end up near wildlife refuges like parks, lakes, and other natural environments, whole populations of species might be wiped off therefore its management is vital due to the potential for environmental and public health hazards, especially in countries which are in the process of development. It is crucial to collect data and examples from a developed nation or a nation with an efficient medical waste management system. Cities are expected to accommodate 65 percent of the globe's population by 2030. The amount of residential waste produced in Mumbai on a regular basis is approximated to be the equal of an eight-story building complex. The atmosphere in cities is so bad that an estimated two million kids under the age of five die from respiratory problems each year. Hospitals, retail stores selling vegetables, seafood, and other items, as well as bus stops, train stations, and amusement parks, are all filthy and serve as breedi­ng grounds for dangerous diseases. In developing nations like India, the amount of trash generated by hospitals is significantly rising, hence monitoring is important. The growing interest for public health excellence and pollution management, necessities that the large quantity of hazardous waste be rendered as innocuous very quickly, prior to its disposal. The main aim of this paper is to highlight the issues surrounding medical waste, its environmental repercussions, and the management procedure.

Knowledge About Medical Waste Management: How do Healthcare Professionals Learn and Practice?

The management and disposal of medical waste follow scientific protocols to ensure safety. However, the effective implementation of the medical waste management system depended on correct handling and segregation by the healthcare workers, during their daily activities. These professionals need to know about health waste management, since incorrect handling and disposal pose a potential risk to the environment and human health. This study aimed to analyze the knowledge regarding the management of medical waste of the healthcare teams working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Designed to provide preventive and basic healthcare using multidisciplinary professional teams, the FHS reflects many best practices. The research was carried out in a city that is the 3rd economy in southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with a quantitative approach, and data were assessed by using self-administered and pretested questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 74 participants, including doctors, nurses, and nursing technicians. Descriptive statistics were carried out to express participants’ demographic information, mean knowledge score, and the teaching strategies used with the team. The main research results show that the healthcare teams working in the Family Health Strategy have, in part, knowledge about the correct management of waste. Besides, they are sensitive, in general, to its impact on the environment. Nevertheless, the results highlighted that more practical training would be needed, to help healthcare workers with everyday doubts. Furthermore, the results show that it requires attention to rethinking the strategies used to train and develop knowledge and skills in health services.

An innovative medical waste management system in a smart city using XAI and vehicle routing optimization.

The management of medical waste is a complex task that necessitates effective strategies to mitigate health risks, comply with regulations, and minimize environmental impact. In this study, a novel approach based on collaboration and technological advancements is proposed. By utilizing colored bags with identification tags, smart containers with sensors, object recognition sensors, air and soil control sensors, vehicles with Global Positioning System (GPS) and temperature humidity sensors, and outsourced waste treatment, the system optimizes waste sorting, storage, and treatment operations. Additionally, the incorporation of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technology, leveraging scikit-learn, xgboost, catboost, lightgbm, and skorch, provides real-time insights and data analytics, facilitating informed decision-making and process optimization. The integration of these cutting-edge technologies forms the foundation of an efficient and intelligent medical waste management system. Furthermore, the article highlights the use of genetic algorithms (GA) to solve vehicle routing models, optimizing waste collection routes and minimizing transportation time to treatment centers. Overall, the combination of advanced technologies, optimization algorithms, and XAI contributes to improved waste management practices, ultimately benefiting both public health and the environment.

A Model for Predicting Medical Solid Waste in Hilla City, Iraq

Introduction: To improve current practices and create the most effective healthcare waste treatment system, solid medical waste composition needs to be analyzed. This study aims to develop models to predict the rate of medical waste production in hospitals in Hilla city, Iraq. Predictive mode can be used to set standards, evaluate current methods for treating and disposing medical waste, and optimize healthcare solid waste management systems.
 Materials and Methods: Predictive models and long-term data on the composition and rate of solid medical waste generation were developed using a longitudinal study design. A standardized questionnaire and weighted scale were used to measure solid medical waste generated from the five public hospitals. Statistics were used to create models predicting the amount of waste generated at each hospital.
 Results: These models demonstrated a significant correlation between inpatient and outpatient numbers and waste generation. Different hospitals treat different numbers of inpatients and outpatients. Different models have been created based on various types of hospitals.
 Conclusion: Linear rule-based models accurately represent the weights of variables, identify the sources and implications of solid medical waste, and control waste levels by using a variety of parameters. The research model can help in the development of an effective strategic plan for setting up a medical solid waste (MSW) management system.

A conflict elimination-based model for failure mode and effect analysis: A case application in medical waste management system

As a recognized and powerful risk analysis tool, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) has proven its effectiveness in medical waste management, which has profound significance to human health and ecological environment. However, existing FMEA studies pay little attention to the heterogeneity of team members (TMs) and their trust relationship, potentially leading to inappropriate results. Therefore, this paper constructs a FMEA model with internal and external TMs for medical waste management system, which focuses on the conflict elimination under social network to circumvent TMs’ negative behaviors and improve team harmony, thereby enhancing the reliability of FMEA. Firstly, to increase the flexibility and accuracy of information expression and synthesis, probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs) and Dempster-Shafer evidence theory (D-S theory) are employed to provide and process evaluations of failure modes (FMs). Secondly, an objective trust prediction method based on bounded confidence is proposed for building a credible social network. Thirdly, a conflict elimination mechanism is devised to improve team cohesion, in which TM weights are dynamically determined. Afterwards, an integrated DEMATEL-TODIM decision framework is proposed to prioritize FMs. An application and related analysis prove that the proposed model can effectively improve the social relationship of TMs and obtain a reliable ranking of FMs on the basis of discriminating FMs’ causality while considering TMs’ bounded rationality.

Strategi Pengelolaan Limbah Bahan Berbahaya dan Beracun Fasilitas Pelayanan Kesehatan Rumah Sakit X Mandau

Hospitals as health service institutions that carry out individual health services in a plenary manner, apart from having a positive impact, they also have a negative impact on the environment and public health by producing medical waste. As a health service provider, hospital managers are obliged to prevent environmental pollution and maintain public health. This can be achieved by carrying out proper and correct medical waste management in accordance with applicable regulations. X Mandau Hospital has implemented medical waste management even though it is not optimal and still has many shortcomings. This study aims to analyze medical waste management at X Mandau Hospital using a regulatory approach and the factors that are considered to influence medical waste management.This type of research is observational research by describing the medical waste management system from the input and process aspects to find out the problems that exist in medical waste management at X Mandau Hospital and to develop a medical waste management strategy based on factors that affect both internal and external use. SWOT analysis. The types of data used are primary data, secondary data and literature studies. The results of research at X Mandau Hospital show that the stages in medical waste management are still not in accordance with applicable regulations. In the reduction and sorting stage, the storage stage and the processing stage, serious violations were found. With an average medical waste generation of 88.98 kg / day and with the inoperable condition of medical waste treatment equipment, Hospital X is considered to be facing serious medical waste management problems. The main problem found in the input aspect is the absence of good planning in the budgeting process for system development, operation and maintenance, this then has an impact on handling the generation of medical waste. In the process aspect, operational techniques that have not met the applicable regulations have resulted in conflicts with the community which have resulted in the rejection of incinerator operations. On the other hand, the incinerator operation itself has not yet obtained a processing permit from the authorized agency. To deal with this problem, the management strategy that can be taken is to carry out efforts to develop and improve medical waste treatment facilities utilizing government support, availability of human resources, budget, facilities and infrastructure as well as the availability of technology to then take advantage of opportunities for collaboration with other parties in medical waste treatment.