Proper medical waste management is a crucial yet often ignored aspect of healthcare in hospitals and other medical institutions. By using the right medical waste collection, segregation, storage, transportation, and disposal methods, healthcare providers can create a safer environment for their patients, employees, and the general public.
Medical waste only makes up about 2 to 3% of the total waste, however, this is the most hazardous kind of waste that poses serious health risks. This waste can contain toxic chemicals, radiological hazards, and dangerous microorganisms that have serious consequences for human health.
This makes proper medical waste management crucial for healthcare facilities across the globe. This can go a long way in ensuring environmental safety, the protection of healthcare workers, and compliance with medical waste regulations.
- Dangers of Medical Waste
- The Crucial Role of Proper Medical Waste Management for Healthcare Facilities
- Reduction in Waste Management Costs
- Increased Safety for Front-line Workers
- Mitigation of Environmental Impacts
- Public Health Benefits
- Ensuring Compliance
- Tips for Proper Medical Waste Management in Healthcare
Dangers of Medical Waste
In Medical facilities, patients suffering from a wide range of infectious diseases undergo different medical procedures. For these procedures, invasive and non-invasive tools like injections, droppers, surgical tools, and many other disposable instruments are used that can contain infectious diseases and pose epidemiological dangers.
Following are some main risks of medical waste and its by-products that you need to be aware of
- Sharp disposable medical tools can cause injuries.
- The release of drugs especially antibiotics and cytotoxic can poison and pollute the environment.
- Medical sewage waste can pollute underground water.
- This can put patients and the general public at risk.
- Improper medical waste management can lead to hefty fines and penalties.
The Crucial Role of Proper Medical Waste Management for Healthcare Facilities
The right medical waste management practices can serve as an effective barrier against the hazards and diseases that pose serious threats to public health and the environment.
Following are a few points that show why eco-friendly medical waste collection management is crucial for healthcare facilities
1. Reduction in Waste Management Costs
Proper waste management allows hospital authorities to figure out the volume of each type of waste. This tracking and segregation allow you to figure out the most cost-effective waste disposal methods.
According to an estimate, about 85% of the total waste generated by medical facilities is general municipal waste which is subjected to minimal regulation. By separating small quantities of regulated waste and using special handling or treatment methods for it alone, waste management costs are reduced significantly.
2. Increased Safety for Front-line Workers
Front-line workers providing healthcare are most exposed to medical waste. By employing the right medical waste management practices, you can easily reduce the risks of injuries and infections for these essential personnel.
Improved safety in the workplace allows healthcare teams to work in a much better environment and that improves the quality of healthcare as well as the overall efficiency.
3. Mitigation of Environmental Impacts
Hazardous medical waste contains chemicals that can pollute soil, air, and water. By properly identifying and managing various medical waste streams, medical facilities can prevent pathogens and active pharmaceutical ingredients from polluting drinking water and other natural resources.
This can protect human, animal, and plant life from safety hazards that can lead to irreparable damage.
4. Public Health Benefits
Proper hospital waste management gives peace of mind to the patients and creates public trust. It ensures the safety of patients and the general public by controlling the spread of nosocomial diseases and cutting the cycles of infection.
It can also prevent illegal repackaging and reselling of contaminated medical tools. As a result, the risks of Hepatitis, sepsis, and HIV/AIDS are also reduced. This way proper medical waste collection and clinical waste disposal not only promotes quicker healing of the patients but also makes sure the general public and hospital staff are completely safe at all times.
5. Ensuring Compliance
It is the responsibility of every medical facility to adhere to federal and state guidelines for healthcare waste collection, management, and disposal. By following the state-issued guidelines, you can better handle your medical waste, and that will save you from penalties and fines that result from non-compliance.
Though it can be tempting to save money, time, and other resources needed for proper medical waste management, it makes you liable to hefty fines and in some cases even the closure of your medical facility.
This is why you need to educate yourself about the medical waste management laws, standards, and requirements in your region to stay on the safe side.
Tips for Proper Medical Waste Management in Healthcare
Now that you are fully aware of the dangers of hazardous medical waste and the crucial role of medical waste management, let’s take a quick look at how you can ensure proper management and disposal of it.
- Know all the healthcare waste streams in your facility and follow the trail proper waste segregation methods.
- Know the difference between regulated, hazardous, and infectious medical waste.
- Provide proper training and awareness to staff members regarding the latest medical waste management procedures and practices.
- Determine your hazardous waste generator status.
- Follow the right medical waste storage limitation based on its type, volume, and storage temperature.
- Use closable, puncture-resistant, and leak-proof containers to dispose of sharps like needles, ampoules, trocars, etc.
Conclusion
Every person who works in or visits a healthcare facility can be impacted by hospital waste and the pathogens it carries. This is why there is a strong need to educate and train the medical staff as well as the general public about the hazards of medical waste and its proper management and disposal.
A systematic handling, segregation, treatment, and disposal of medical waste can lead to a safer working environment for the healthcare professionals and it can provide the patients with the highest quality treatment and care they need to get better. Visit GlobalEX today to get top-quality medical waste collection and management services in the UAE.