Medical waste management in healthcare institutions

Studies over the past decade have shown that medical waste generated has increased significantly and will continue to increase with the pandemic. To identify solutions to solve this global issue, the assignment focuses on defining the existing waste management practices followed in developing countries and highlights specific challenges faced. The purpose of this assignment is to identify ways where healthcare organizations can improve the overall medical waste management (MWM) process and create awareness among co-workers. The assignment is divided into three main components where critical analysis of primary research, policy for waste management and use of IT/IS tools were analyzed. Three articles analyzed in this assignment were published in high impact journals/international reports between 2014-2018. Findings from the primary research were obtained using a Likert-scale questionnaire from 156 healthcare institutions, the results indicated that MWM practices followed in healthcare institutions are impacted by three factors, awareness of staff, technological availability and attitudes of top-board management. The three factors had a p-value of 0.00 in the correlation analysis carried out indicating a highly significant relationship between them. Integrated sustainable waste management model following the GWMO (Global Waste Management Outlook) framework was identified to be most adaptable method. The advantage of this model is such that it can be remodeled based on the country’s requirement with the help of digital tools and country-level indicators. The use of IT/IS tools were critically analyzed in the last article with use of GIS integrated real-time waste management system being identified as the most feasible option, where using online tracking systems and smart bins the type of waste and quantities produced can be measured and provide real time updates to local authorities to ensure safe waste management practices are followed. Recommendations from the assignment identifies that countries needs to conduct a preliminary analysis of types of medical waste being generated in healthcare institutions to provide a better understanding of types of hazardous waste exposed to the environment. Additionally, frequent training workshops needs to be conducted to ensure the management and staff understand the importance of MWM.

The Effectivity of Solid Medical Waste Management in Pandemic Era

Introduction: The increasing of confirmed positive case of SARS-Cov-2 Virus impacts to the need for improvement of health services, especially to the health workers and medical equipment. Along with the importance of regarding need of health service, it causes the rise number of medical waste that leads to health problem crisis. Therefore, this article presents common insight of the effectivity and challenge of medical waste management in Covid-19 pandemic.Methods: The notion is gained by finding out the source database from Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Google scholar, Researchgate that classified based on the research purpose. The keywords used were: (1) Covid-19 and medical waste; (2) pandemic solid waste; (3) waste and Covid-19; (4) management and pandemics.Results: An effective method to be applied is sterilizer technology, such as VH2O2 dan Stryker STERIZONE VP4, and the development of late waste respirator with the pyrolysis process. The method and the management process is considered, either nationally or internationally, as effective, but still we found challenge to implement the method, as lack of socialisation and support from the functionary. Conclusion: the method management can be implemented in the various countries, based on the needs and capability.

Development of professional standards in the area of medical and biological waste management for workers of 3-4 skill levels

Issues related to the updating of professional standards for workers of 3-4 skill levels are relevant for all sectors of the national economy. In this study, we have analyzed the qualifications and training of the main participants in the labor market in the field of biomedical waste management in health care organizations, agriculture and veterinary medicine, food and biotechnology industries, food trade, hospitality sectors, tourism, as well as other organizations in which medico-biological waste is generated. The purpose of this work is to analyze the algorithm for updating professional standards for management of medical and biological waste specialists. In the course of updating the Professional standard Worker in the area of medical and biological waste management, employees of the Department of Industrial Ecology of the Saint Petersburg Chemical and Pharmaceutical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation made a proposal to supplement the labor functions of this standard with new competencies and a new qualification Specialist in medical waste management, formed in the organizations of pharmaceutical activity.

Implementation of environmental cost accounting during the COVID-19 pandemic in medical waste management

This study aims to investigating the implementation of environmental cost accounting during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to medical waste management at Wangaya General Hospital, Denpasar Indonesia using qualitative approach through case studies. Data were collected through field-observation, documentation and interviews with 4 key informants. The results show that the Wangaya Hospital had implemented environmental cost accounting, but had not made an explicit disclosure of environmental costs. There is no environmental cost report, and the operational statement is only reported in the goods and services expense account. But in other hand, Wangaya General Hospital already integrated among the economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The research results also show that Wangaya General Hospital still able to manage their business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOLID MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COSTS BETWEEN OUTSOURCING AND SELF-MANAGED SYSTEM AT HOSPITAL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Health service programs aim to improve the level of society’s health. On one side, it will give benefit public health, and on the other side, it will have a bad impact if the process is not managed appropriately. Health service activities produces wastes, one of which is solid waste. It is important to know the problem related to the process and cost of the solid medical waste management, which is part of the B3 wastes (hazardous and toxic wastes). The B3 waste management is under the supervision of public health facilities which have the security and cost responsibilities. The costs include investment cost, maintenance cost, cooperation cost or cost of the third-hand management, and consumable cost. This study compares solid medical waste cost between outsourcing systems and self-management systems in the X hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses descriptive research in a qualitative approach through observation, document review, and cost calculation for data collection. The study results show that the process of solid medical waste management has been running well. In addition, self-managed solid medical waste management is cheaper than outsourcing management.

Medical Waste Treatment Technologies for Energy, Fuels, and Materials Production: A Review

The importance of medical waste management has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the increase in medical waste quantity and the significant dangers of these highly infected wastes for human health and the environment. This innovative review focuses on the possibility of materials, gas/liquid/solid fuels, thermal energy, and electric power production from medical waste fractions. Appropriate and promising treatment/disposal technologies, such as (i) acid hydrolysis, (ii) acid/enzymatic hydrolysis, (iii) anaerobic digestion, (vi) autoclaving, (v) enzymatic oxidation, (vi) hydrothermal carbonization/treatment, (vii) incineration/steam heat recovery system, (viii) pyrolysis/Rankine cycle, (ix) rotary kiln treatment, (x) microwave/steam sterilization, (xi) plasma gasification/melting, (xii) sulfonation, (xiii) batch reactor thermal cracking, and (xiv) torrefaction, were investigated. The medical waste generation data were collected according to numerous researchers from various countries, and divided into gross medical waste and hazardous medical waste. Moreover, the medical wastes were separated into categories and types according to the international literature and the medical waste fractions’ percentages were estimated. The capability of the examined medical waste treatment technologies to produce energy, fuels, and materials, and eliminate the medical waste management problem, was very promising with regard to the near future.

The use of Geographic Information Systems Technologies for creation of regional medical waste management systems

Introduction. The annual growth of medical waste due necessitates a comprehensive approach to solving the issue of medical waste management. It is necessary to develop unified methodical strategies for the complex solution. The objective of the study. To substantiate the hygienic efficiency of the thermal decontamination of class B and C medical waste based on geo-informational system (GIS) technologies in the Krasnoyarsk region for five consecutive years. Materials and methods. Medical institutions (MI) of the Krasnoyarsk region’s three macro districts were studied as class B and C waste sources. At the first stage, the composition of wastes by classes and their volumes were determined, and local technologies of thermal deactivation available in medical organizations were identified. The received information was subjected to statistical processing, stratified on electronic maps to apply GIS technologies further. Results. Based on statistical processing of data on medical class B and C waste generation in separate MO, the analysis of operating technologies capacity in 2014-2015 based on GIS-technology of spatial analysis, construction of optimal transport ways of waste delivery, area mapping in the three districts in the Krasnoyarsk region have been substantiated proposals to optimize medical waste management for five years. Conclusion. To have an environmentally and epidemiologically safe system of handling class B and C waste in the region, it is necessary to create a comprehensive functional model based on GIS technology, taking into account the optimal combination of decentralized and centralized systems, regional features of the transport network, and the prospects of health care system development.

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

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.

Evaluation of implementation about Covid-19 medical waste management policies in health care facilities

This paper evaluates policy implementation that discusses the management of medical waste in health care facilities. The government establishes a waste management policy with the Decree of the Minister of Health concerning Guidelines for the Management of Medical Waste for Health Service Facilities and Waste from Isolation Activities or Independent Quarantine in the Community in Handling (Covid-19) to prevent transmission and controlling the spread of Covid-19 and protecting health workers, non-health workers, and the public from the impact of waste in handling Covid-19. Although regulations related to the management of Covid-19 waste have been set, there are still problems in some areas in their implementation. The literature study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of medical waste management policies in health care facilities. Evaluation is seen based on socialization, implementation, and policy results. Based on the results of the literature study, it was found that the socialization of the policy had done well, evidenced by the implementation of socialization about medical waste in health care facilities. The implementation encountered several obstacles, such as limited shelters, shortage of waste destruction equipment, and medical waste transportation and processing services that had not yet reached all areas in Indonesia.