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The shift from the use of non-disposables to disposables by hospitals has led to hospital waste becoming a dangerous infusion.
Till early 70’s while the developed world disposed their hospital waste by dumping it in the sea, India was better off as we were using the reusable in our hospitals.
However, during early 90’s we were lured into using disposables, and that’s when our problems started.
‘Hospital Waste a Dangerous Infusion’ Report was first published in 1996. It exposed the pathetic conditions of the 99.8 % hospitals where waste management was concerned. There was absence of segregation at source, corruption at all levels, karamcharis not motivated and multiple authorities responsible for managing hospital waste .
There was rampant stealing of hospital waste. Space behind the boundary wall of a prestigious hospital was used by mafia to get pathological waste segregated. It was transported to various parts of the country and sold as new.
In 1998, the government laid down the Biomedical Waste Management and Handling Rules. There was to be through and proper segregation by hospital staff. The waste was to be managed in appropriate manner. Rules were hardly followed. There were more reports thus more pressure on the government.
During early 2000 the government spent crores importing autoclaves, shredders and starting centralized management by handing over transport and disposal of bio-medical waste to private companies like
Synergy.
While the conscious keepers of the developed world were making their hospitals move to source treatment approach, we were putting our energies and money on a centralized approach.
In 2020, life changed across the globe. COVID-19 struck
In 2021 a report by Asian Development Agency stated that ninety one percent of the nations did not have a national response plan, to deal with health crisis like COVID-19.
We were neither prepared for Covid-19 nor for managing 774 tons of biomedical waste produced every day.
Hospital waste is comprised of OT waste, sputum, clotted blood, gloves, syringes, bandages, plasters, empty bottles, card boards boxes, left-over food, vegetable peels etc.
The items saturated or dripping with blood and body fluids, discarded medical equipment, soiled cotton, plasters, dressing and surgical and autopsy wastes are a major health hazards as they provide fertile environs for bacteria, virus and other microorganisms to multiply. The list of diseases caused due to that are AIDS, Hepatitis B, Leptospiria, Tuberculosis, Bronchitis, Gastroentitis and many skin and eye disorders.
The only way out of this mess is treating hospital waste where its created. The solids by Source Treatment System and liquids by Microwave System.
Source Treatment System
Its philosophy is that managing hospital waste must be the responsibility of the hospital and waste must be treated at the point of generation. It minimizes the number of personnel handling medical waste.
It has 2 chambers for 2 categories of wastes(infectious & general) and a medical waste grinder on a cart. Both chambers have sanitary collection lids and particle filtration system. The chamber for infectious waste is equipped for ‘total kill’ sterilization.
2 categories of waste are put in the designated chambers. In general waste chamber the moisture content of the waste gets reduced. In infectious waste chamber a vacuum gets created. Steam enters at 307 degrees F. Pressure reaches 38lbs. Waste gets sterilized in half an hour. Medical Waste Grinder grounds and dries both categories of waste. The waste becomes sterile powder . Its volume reduces by 80 % to 85% . It can be used in industrial and construction sectors reducing the use of some virgin products.
Microwave System
Infectious liquid waste like microbiological cultures, fluids from dialysis centres, blood, etc. hospital must use Microwaves. It destroys infections by magnetic field .
A microwave sterilizes hospital waste by generating electromagnetic waves that cause water molecules within the waste to vibrate rapidly, creating heat which effectively kills bacteria and viruses present in the waste through a process called “dielectric heating.” It saves electricity because at 100 degree Centigrade temperature only 3.5 units of electricity are used per cycle as compared to 18 units by autoclave & still higher by incinerator .
Decentralized system saves time and money, reduces expensive special bio-medical transfer vehicles on roads and eliminates landfills. Using Source Treatment system and Microwaves is safer, more efficient and complies with the law.
The consumers have many rights like immediate admission when seriously ill or injured, careful and detailed clinical examination, judicious use of tests, accurate diagnosis, right to information, consent or refusal of recommended treatment or tests. However, the consumer does not have the right to check how hospital waste is being managed in a hospital.
The right to see how hospital waste is being treated would help put social pressure on hospitals, curb its under hand dealings and decentralize hospital waste management.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.