LAHORE, Dec 9: The management of healthcare waste requires attention and diligence to avoid the substantial disease burden associated with the process, including exposure to infectious agents and toxic substances.

In a seminar held at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Monday, the experts said the unsafe disposal of healthcare waste, e.g. contaminated syringes and needles, posed public health risks. They said contaminated needles and syringes carried a particular threat as the failure to dispose them of safely might lead to dangerous recycling and repackaging. The seminar on “Strategic analysis and provision of new guidelines for the safe disposal of healthcare waste management” was organised by the UHS Immunology Department in collaboration with Environmental Health Protection Unit (EHPU), National Institute of Health, Islamabad.

Dr Jamal Nasir, focal person for the EHPU, said the health hazards to staff, patients and nearby communities were the most significant potential risk associated with the healthcare facility operation. “These are mostly caused by not following the infection control protocols, not using protective equipment and ignoring proper procedures for waste collection, transportation, storage, and disposal,” he added.

Dr Nasir further said proper management of healthcare waste and effective implementation of the Hospital Waste Management Rules of 2005 could minimise the risks both within and outside the healthcare facilities.He highlighted that safety hazards in the healthcare facilities were generally associated with handling of sharps (needles, cutters), gases, autoclaves, and other similar equipment. Open burning of hospital waste also posed safety risks, including cuts, pricks, gas poisoning, burning, and injuries, to the staff carrying out the activity.

“Strictly following standard operating procedures and protocols to handle sharps and proper use of equipment particularly prick-proof gloves and masks is of foremost importance to avoid safety hazards,” he stressed.

Dr Ibrahim Mughal, technical officer, EHPU, said the existing hospital waste management was deficient in many ways while there were no people who could be held responsible for the mismanagement, adding that waste materials were collected by the sweepers who were not given any equipment or training on handling it properly.

Hasan Nasir, manager Hospital Waste Management, Shalamar Hospital, Lahore, said an estimated 80,000 ton hospital waste was produced every month in Punjab.

“Out of this, only 15 to 20 per cent of hospital waste is infectious in nature but it is mixed with solid waste and thus contaminates the entire lot,” he said adding that around 2kg of waste per bed per day was produced out of which 0.1-0.5 per cent could be categorised as a health risk.

Incidence of hepatitis B and C had increased in the country, with the average prevalence of hepatitis B ranging between 3-4 per cent (six million) and hepatitis C, five per cent (7.5million) and this called for stringent safety measures, Hasan stressed.

Azmat Naz, deputy director, Environment Protection Agency, said the first priority was to segregate waste, preferably at the point of generation, into reusable and non-reusable, hazardous and non-hazardous components. Other important steps were the institution of a sharps management system, waste reduction, avoidance of hazardous substances whenever possible, ensuring worker safety, providing secure methods of waste collection and transportation, and installing safe treatment and disposal mechanisms, she added.

UHS Immunology Department’s head Dr Nadeem Afzal and Prof Tahir Naeem from Microbiology Department of Shalamar Hospital also spoke.