Biomedical waste management has recently emerged as a serious worry for both hospitals and nursing home authorities, as well as the environment. The biomedical wastes created from healthcare units depend on several parameters such as waste management methods, kind of healthcare units, occupancy of healthcare units, specialization of healthcare units, the ratio of reusable products in use, availability of infrastructure and resources, and so on. The correct handling of biological waste is now a global humanitarian concern. The risks of improper biomedical waste management have sparked global concern, particularly given its far-reaching consequences on human health and the environment. It is now widely recognized that the "Hospital waste" produced during patient care has numerous negative and detrimental consequences on the environment, including humans. Hospital trash poses a potential health risk to healthcare personnel, the general public, and the local flora and animals. Waste disposal difficulties in hospitals and other healthcare institutions are becoming increasingly problematic. Here is the classification of biomedical waste:
- Radioactive
- Pathological
- Chemical
- Potentially infectious materials
- Pharmaceuticals
- Sharps
- Pressurized containers
Problems Related to Biomedical Waste
A major difficulty with existing Bio-Medical waste management in many hospitals is that the execution of Bio-Waste regulation is inadequate, since some hospitals dispose of trash haphazardly, improperly, and indiscriminately. Lack of segregation practices causes hospital waste to mingle with general waste, making the entire waste stream dangerous. Inappropriate segregation eventually leads to the inappropriate manner of waste disposal.
Inadequate bio-medical waste management will result in environmental pollution, an unpleasant odor, the growth and multiplication of vectors such as insects, rodents, and worms, as well as the transmission of diseases such as typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, and AIDS through injuries from human-contaminated syringes and needles. Various communicable diseases, which are spread by water, perspiration, blood, body fluids, and contaminated organs, must be prevented. Biomedical waste dispersed in and around hospitals attracts flies, insects, rats, cats, and dogs, which are responsible for the spread of communicable diseases such as plague and rabies.
Rag pickers in hospitals who sift rubbish risk contracting tetanus and HIV. Hepatitis, HIV, and other viral illnesses are caused by the improper sterilization of disposable syringes, needles, IV sets, and other items such as glass bottles during their recycling. It is the major responsibility of health managers to handle hospital trash in a safe and environmentally appropriate manner. The issue of biomedical waste disposal in hospitals and other healthcare establishments has become a source of increasing concern, prompting hospital administration to seek new methods of scientific, safe, and cost-effective waste management, as well as to keep their employees informed of advances in this field. The need for a comprehensive hospital waste management system is paramount, and it is a critical component of hospital quality assurance. Biomedical Waste Management Method
There is a large network of healthcare institutions in India. To prevent nosocomial or hospital-acquired infection, hospital waste such as body parts, organs, tissues, blood, and body fluids, as well as soiled linen, cotton, bandages, and plaster casts from infected and contaminated areas, must be properly collected, segregated, stored, transported, treated, and disposed of safely.
- Waste collection and segregation
- Transportation and Storage
- Treatment & Disposal
- Transport to the final disposal site
- Final disposal.
Medical wastes should be classified based on their origin, typology, and the risks associated with their handling, storage, and final disposal. The most important step is to segregate waste at the source, and reduction, reuse, and recycling should all be considered. We must consider innovative and radical measures to address the troubling picture of hospitals' lack of civic concern and sluggish government implementation of the bare minimum of rules, as waste generation, particularly biomedical waste, imposes increasing direct and indirect costs on society.
The task before us is to scientifically handle increasing amounts of biomedical waste that exceed previous practices. If we wish to maintain our environment and community health, we must raise awareness of this critical issue, not only for the benefit of health managers but also for the benefit of the community.
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