Over the years, the problem of hospital waste management is posing a serious health hazard across the globe especially in underdeveloped nations. It is a fact that developments in medical science and technological advancements in surgery have given us a great deal of relief. But this has given rise to a new challenge as well; our ecology and environment is linked to one such serious problem.
Though our world is facing many challenges but improper and unscientific disposal of hospital waste is becoming a serious threat world over. For the last many years, the production and quantity of this waste has tremendously increased thus calling for coordinated efforts to counter this challenge. While disposing hospital or biomedical waste, individuals at large show carelessness and are not aware about its harmful effects on our fragile environment.
Furthermore, Improper and unhygienic disposal has contributed to a number of health issues that need to be dealt with at an earliest. Ecological risks associated with improper management of hospital waste are huge and the unscientific dumping of it has the potential to contaminate our ground water resources as well; posing a very serious health threat to both humans and animals alike. In addition, lack of understanding and knowledge of the proper disposal and dumping of biomedical waste among medical practitioners has been a matter of great concern.
Medical experts make use of the equipment, but rarely think about its disposal. However, there are some strategies that can be used effectively to reduce the problem from spreading even further until the situation goes out of control and takes an ugly turn. Identification of biomedical waste is the first step towards the proper waste segregation. Also the medical practitioners and the associated staff should be aware of how biomedical waste can be disposed of scientifically.
Through organizing seminars and using means of the mass media can also help in creating awareness among the people at large. In order to achieve safety and efficiency in health care system, the concerned authorities and administration must come up with an effective and sustainable health care waste management.
(Author is research scholar in Environmental Studies)
