Open AccessFostering community and environment friendly disposal of biomedical wastes
Author(s) -
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava,
Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava,
Jegadeesh Ramasamy
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
archives of medicine and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2321-6085
pISSN - 2321-4848
DOI - 10.4103/2321-4848.154975
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , health care , medicine , hazard , biomedical waste , public health , health hazard , environmental health , waste disposal , waste management , environmental planning , nursing , economic growth , engineering , environmental science , chemistry , organic chemistry , economics
Health care waste is the waste generated from any health care activities in health care organizations, research institutes or laboratories. Almost, three-fourth of the health care wastes is nonhazardous, while the remaining fraction is hazardous, and is referred as biomedical waste (BMW). Inappropriate management of BMW is associated with significant potential risks to the health care workers, patients, communities, their future generations and their environment. To ensure the correct disposal of the generated BMW, they have been categorized in different classes and appropriate methods of disposal have been specified to prevent a health hazard to the health care providers and the general community. In addition, to render the BMW produced from a health care setting implementation of multiple measures have been proposed to reduce the menace of public health concerns. To conclude, to mitigate the magnitude of the health concerns emerging secondary to the improper disposal of BMW, development of a comprehensive waste management policy, in addition to establishing training programs for all healthcare workers is the need of the hour