Why Is It Essential To Dispose Of The Wastes Properly?

By | October 22, 2018

When you run a pharmacy, a hospital, or a laboratory, you have to take care of the healthcare wastes. The wastes include the expired pharmaceutical vials, bags that contain the traces of the toxic drugs, contaminated body tissues, spilled liquids, etc. Additionally, the healthcare wastes include the wastes that are produced during the healthcare process performed by the patients at home like insulin injections, dialysis, and others. Almost 10-25% of the healthcare wastes are considered hazardous, and they create various health risks. Disposing of the pharmaceutical wastes is dangerous and can result in many kinds of health risks.

These wastes contain pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites in a reasonable quantity that can cause infectious diseases. Pathological wastes consist of the body parts, tissues, human fetuses, body fluids, etc. The wastes that are included in the category of chemical residues are the discarded liquid, solid, and gaseous chemicals from the diagnostic work and after performing the housekeeping and the cleaning work. These wastes are toxic, hazardous, reactive, and corrosive. Then there are items like needles, knives, nails, infusion sets that can cause cuts. Even if they are not infected, these items are considered hazardous. You can read more about it by visiting the website of a medical waste disposal company.

Adverse effects of medical wastes

There is a growing awareness among people regarding the proper management of healthcare wastes. These wastes pose a high risk and threat to human health. The waste quantity produced by a hospital depends on the national income level and the kind of facility offered by it. A universal hospital located in a high-income level country produces almost ten kgs of waste daily per bed, inclusive of all categories. Improper management of the healthcare wastes poses health risks to the health workers, patients, waste handlers, and the common public. It may contaminate the soil, air, and water that affect all kinds of life.

See also  Global warming may threaten availability of essential brain-building fatty acid

Inadequate healthcare waste management results in environmental pollution, the growth of vectors such as rodents, insects, worms and can also transmit diseases such as cholera, typhoid, AIDS, hepatitis through the needles and syringes contaminated with blood. Apart from the health risks that are related to poor management of the medical wastes, due consideration must also be given to its impact on natural environment. The residues play a significant role in polluting air, water, and soil. These days, many modern technologies are there that can reduce the harmful effects of these healthcare wastes. The fundamental techniques include microwave treatment, steam sterilization, biological treatment, and alkaline hydrolysis.

Healthcare Waste disposable company

If you are searching for hiring a healthcare waste disposable company, then you should consider three important things. The medical service provider company should have the accreditation of the federal and the state agencies, and it should comply with the regulations and the rules set by the federal agencies. It should have its paperwork in place because in case the company does not abide by the rules, you will be held liable too. Check the prices as it should offer services that meet your requirement and budget. Consider its reliability too as it should possess adequate experience in treating, transporting, and disposing of the medical wastes. Hence, you should read more about it to know in details.

Healthankering