Table 9 - uploaded by Vikas Thakur
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Source publication
The importance of healthcare waste management in preserving the environment and protecting the public cannot be denied. Past research has dealt with various issues in healthcare waste management and disposal, which spreads over various journals, pipeline research disciplines and research communities. Hence, this article analyses this scattered know...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... period under study (January 2005-July 2014) was broken into two 5-year periods and methodologies were analysed to see if there was any variance in the use of methodologies in these two periods. As is clear from Table 9, the chi-square tests do not show any significant results indicating that there was no significant variance in the use of methodologies over the considered time periods. ...
Citations
... Previous literature reviews have focused mainly on healthcare waste management methods and practices [17][18][19], occasionally providing an overview of different global approaches, programs, or regulations for waste collection and disposal [14,[20][21][22]. Other authors have analyzed the practices adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on public health and the environment [8,23], identifying few feasible and sustainable strategies, a lack of strict regulation and legislation, and inadequate knowledge and awareness of this topic among stakeholders. ...
The healthcare sector represents a major source of waste production, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are crucial in waste management. Educational interventions (EIs) can be delivered through a single component (mono-component) or by combining different components (multi-component); although they have a potential impact on the sustainability of healthcare, their effectiveness in waste management still needs to be identified. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to describe EIs to improve waste management knowledge, attitudes, and practices among HCWs and provide an estimate of their effectiveness. Six relevant databases were searched; 24 articles were included, and 19 were meta-analyzed. These were mainly from low-income countries and did not consider EIs for recycling, reducing, and reusing. Compared to the mono-component EIs, the multi-component Eis showed a higher statistically significant positive post-intervention effect on knowledge, with greater retention in the medium–long term, and on practices, particularly among non-hands-on HCWs. The effects of the EIs on attitudes were not significant. Our results suggest that multi-component EIs should be preferred to improve waste management standards in the healthcare sector. Given the heterogeneity found among EIs, the standardization of types, content, duration, and assessment methods should be considered. Finally, their harmonization at a global level could influence international and national policies on sustainability.
... In a thorough examination of the fragmented knowledge in the literature on hospital waste management, Thakur and Ramesh [23] concentrated on the time frame from January 2005 to July 2014. The study set out to accomplish the following goals: (i) identify patterns in the literature on healthcare waste management with regard to journals that were published; (ii) identify the primary research areas in healthcare waste management; (iii) look at the methodologies used in healthcare waste management research; (iv) determine the areas that academics tend to focus on the most often; and (v) describe the potential areas for future studies in healthcare waste management. ...
... Thakur & Ramesh [23] Literature analysis in healthcare waste management ...
Bio-medical waste management is critical for ensuring public health and environmental sustainability. However, due to the inherent ambiguities and complexities involved with waste characteristics and disposal techniques, measuring the efficiency of bio-medical waste management systems presents major hurdles. This study provides a Fuzzy TOPSIS-based (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) strategy for thorough bio-medical waste management assessment. The suggested method combines the benefits of fuzzy logic and TOPSIS, allowing for the incorporation of subjective judgments and ambiguity in the evaluation procedure. Initially, a thorough set of criteria is constructed based on a review of current literature and recommendations from experts, comprising Environmental Impact, Compliance with Regulations, Health and Safety, Technological Feasibility, and Cost-effectiveness. To accurately represent the inherent ambiguity and imprecision in decision-making, each criterion is evaluated using linguistic variables. Furthermore, the Fuzzy TOPSIS approach is used to rate various bio-medical waste management systems depending on how well they perform in comparison to the identified criteria. The language judgments are represented as fuzzy numbers, and the idea of closeness coefficients is used for calculating the relative distance between each alternative and the ideal answer. An investigation in a healthcare facility is performed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the suggested strategy. To assess numerous waste management approaches, the study uses real-world data on waste management practices, expert opinions, and linguistic analyses. The study’s findings emphasize the benefits of using a Fuzzy TOPSIS-based technique to evaluate bio-medical waste management. According to the findings of this research study, recycling is the best choice because it has the potential to reduce waste, recover resources, and preserve the environment. It assists decision-makers to account for uncertainties and subjectivity, increases transparency and consistency in decision-making, and aids in choosing of the best waste management system. The proposed approach advances sustainable waste management practices in the bio-medical area and provides a helpful tool for policymakers and practitioners looking to enhance waste management systems.
... Due to inappropriate handling and disposal procedures, diseases may spread and the environment may get contaminated. To increase awareness and encourage safe handling and disposal methods, it is, therefore, necessary to implement effective communication and teaching programs [46,47] e. The development of scalable, sustainable technologies that meet the aforementioned difficulties is one of the future avenues for managing medical waste in the field of environmental biotechnology. ...
The increasing environmental and human health concerns associated with medical waste have led to the development of environmental biotechnology as a means of mitigating its negative effects. This review paper discusses the various types of medical waste generated in healthcare facilities, as well as the potential environmental and health impacts of improper handling and disposal. It also provides an overview of the different environmental biotechnologies that have been developed to treat medical waste, including bioreactor systems, microbial treatment, and composting. The benefits and drawbacks of these technologies are also discussed. Bioremediation is a promising environmental biotechnology that can be used to treat medical waste contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Case studies from around the world demonstrate the successful application of environmental biotechnologies to medical waste management. These case studies highlight the challenges encountered, the methods used, and the results obtained. The findings of this review paper highlight the need for a comprehensive strategy for managing medical waste that includes environmental biotechnologies. Further research and development are needed to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of medical waste management.
... 15 Globally, research has highlighted several gaps and weaknesses in healthcare waste management and disposal. 16 The compiled studies have reviewed the hospital waste management conditions in different countries, including Greece, 11,17,18 Lao PDR, 19 Brazil, 20,21 China, 22,23 Kingdom of Bahrain, 24 India, [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] South Africa, [33][34][35][36] Malaysia, 37 South Korea, 38 the United States, 39 Palestine, 40 Egypt, 41,42 Mauritius, 43 Algeria, 44 Libya, 45 Portugal, 46 Pakistan, 47 Ghana, 48 Indonesia, 49 Australia, 50 Taiwan, 51,52 Jordan, [53][54][55] Turkey, 56,57 Mongolia, 58 Asia Continent, 59 Botswana, 60 Madagascar, 61 Nigeria, [62][63][64] Croatia, 65 Saudi Arabia, 66 Iran 67-71 and the United Kingdom. 72,73 Almost all the studies have identified the same common issues of inadequate waste management. ...
Introduction: To achieve continuous environmental sustainability and protect the population's health, healthcare waste (in liquid or solid form) needs appropriate management and suitable treatment strategies before its final disposal in the environment in order to reduce its adverse impacts. This study aims to identify disparities in the waste management mof anticancer drugs and the wastewater generated in Lebanese hospitals.
Methods: Three questionnaires were designed to evaluate the level of knowledge, awareness, and experience of hospital personnel regardless of their job levels. Data was collected in December 2019 from three departments of each participating hospital: pharmacy, oncology, and maintenance departments. A descriptive analysis was conducted to summarise the survey results.
Results: The results revealed a lack of transparency and awareness of the participants, with a high frequency of "prefer not to say" responses when asked about the disposal methods of anticancer drugs and with only 5.7% of the participants in the pharmacy department sharing their disposal procedures. The same perception was deduced regarding hospitals' wastewater treatment, where responses were often contradicting, preventing making assumptions about the fate of hospital wastewater.
Conclusion: The results of this survey support the need to establish a more comprehensive waste management program in Lebanon that would be maintained through regular training and supervision.
... Currently, the rate of generation of bio-medical waste has increased with the increasing population, number and size of healthcare facilities, and the frequent use of disposable products at the healthcare facilities (Mohee, 2005;Thakur & Ramesh, 2015). The quantity of bio-medical waste generated varies across the country and depends upon the number of healthcare facilities. ...
In India, a large quantity of bio-medical waste is generated by healthcare facilities. This study analyses the geographical and temporal variations in bio-medical waste management (BMWM) in India systematically. A comprehensive BMWM inventory of India’s states and union territories for the period 2008–2017 was prepared and analysed. The objectives of this study were to analyse BMWM implementation geographically across the country to assess its performance, and to understand its policy implementation gaps over time. During 2008–2017, the total bio-medical waste generation increased from 409 to 558 Mg/day. Among all the states and union territories, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have the highest number of healthcare facilities. The quantity of waste generated is the highest in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal, and Gujarat. The quantity of waste treated has also increased with the enforcement of the Bio-Medical Waste Rules (2016). The quantity of bio-medical waste treatment is highest in Karnataka and Maharashtra. This analysis will help to improve the practice of BMWM, and it can be used to bridge the gaps in effective and efficient management of bio-medical waste in India.
... 15 28 Even though healthcare is becoming increasingly important in many countries' national health policies, HCW has received insufficient attention in low-income countries. [29][30][31][32][33] Some countries in Africa, including Ethiopia, Botswana, Nigeria and Algeria, do not have national guidelines in place to adhere to the correct disposal of HCW. 14 This is due to the fact that health problems frequently compete with other economic areas for the limited resources available. 16 Thus, the management of HCW ends up not getting the priority it deserves. ...
... 46 Although there have been improvements in the past 10 years in the management of HCW since the WHO disseminated guidance on national HCWM plans in sub-Saharan countries and low-income nations have learnt from India's experience, 1 2 21 47 handling HCW and avoiding possible threats remain key challenges for healthcare institutions. 39 Many low-income countries either do not have appropriate regulations or do not enforce them, 30 though government commitment and support are needed for universal and long-term improvement, and some healthcare facilities do not abide to the HCWM policy of their country. 6 22 34 In Ethiopia, studies indicated that a 35%-40% of health workers were practising improper HCWM. 4 29 41 44 Private healthcare facilities in Ethiopia are more important than ever to serve the community's basic health requirements and fulfil the objectives of sustainable development. ...
Objectives
A lack of safe healthcare waste management (HCWM) practice poses a risk to healthcare staff, patients and communities. In low-income countries like Ethiopia, studies on the level of safe HCWM practices in private healthcare facilities are limited. This study was designed to assess the level of good HCWM practice and associated factors among health workers in private health facilities.
Methods
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ilu Aba Bor zone, South West Ethiopia. A random sample of 282 health workers from 143 private health facilities was included in the study. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare factors, knowledge assessment and an observation checklist adapted from WHO guidelines. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.3.1 and analysed with SPSS V.25.0. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HCWM practice. Variables with a p value of <0.05 at 95% CI were declared significant.
Results
More than half (58.7%) of private-sector health workers had good HCWM practice. The presence of the HCWM committee (adjusted OR (AOR)=9.6, 95% CI 4.5 to 20.6), designated healthcare waste storage site (AOR=3.0, 95% CI 1.5 to 6.5), reading the HCWM manual (AOR=4.4, 95% CI 2.2 to 9.0) and having good knowledge of HCWM (AOR=2.6, 95% CI 1.06 to 6.15) were factors associated with good HCWM practice.
Conclusion
About three out of five health workers in private healthcare facilities were practising good HCWM. The presence of an HCWM committee, waste management utilities, reading HCWM guidelines and knowledge of health workers were the identified factors. Health workers should read guidelines to improve their knowledge, and the presence of committees and waste management utilities in private clinics should be followed to ensure compliance with safe HCWM practice.
... Therefore, it is crucial that HCW be properly handled and disposed of. This encourages us to create a tool for evaluating HCW disposal practises both before and after COVID-19 (Thakur & Ramesh A., 2015). Healthcare waste is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as waste produced by healthcare events that includes all types of resources, such as used medical instruments, injections, and toxic isotopes. ...
The probabilistic hesitant fuzzy set (PHFS) is a useful extended version of the hesitant fuzzy set (HFS), which allows decision-makers greater freedom in espousing their preferences through the use of hesitant evidence in the real DM method. As the implications for individuals and global concerns have grown, efficient clinical diagnosis of medical waste has been a major challenge, particularly in developing countries. Medical waste can be disposed of in a variety of ways. The essential thing is to decide which strategies work best. The optimal healthcare plastic waste disposal (HCPWD) option is a MCDM method involving a wide range of qualitative characteristics. The MCDM technique (ARAS) is then described, whereby the criterion weights are assessed using the recommended entropy weighted method (EWM) proportion and score function in order to increase the process utilisation. Moreover, the above-described approach is used to address a real-world problem by determining the optimal treatment option for healthcare waste (HCW) disposal. Finally, a feasibility analysis is given to support the stated viewpoint on HCPWD options being prioritised.
... Exposure to medical waste not only affects the immune system but may be potentially infectious spreading diseases, such as HIV. It is generally categorized as communal waste and biomedical waste [10]. Communal waste includes wrappers, boxes, packaging materials, and bottles, which are nonhazardous to human beings. ...
... The Australian healthcare sector is similar, producing a significant amount of waste, although it is unknown how much of this originates directly from healthcare clinics [33]. The majority of healthcare waste in Australia goes to landfill or is incinerated [31,33], which results in CO2e emissions and harmful air pollutants [34,35]. A growing number of healthcare workers are concerned about this, especially since COVID-19 has increased the amounts of healthcare waste [36]. ...
Background: Climate change is one of the largest threats to human health and well-being globally. The healthcare industry itself currently contributes to fueling the climate crisis with its emissions and material consumption. There has been much research on decarbonising hospitals ecological/carbon footprints but very limited study on ways to assist healthcare clinics in transitioning to a low-carbon healthcare system. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted, and the results analysed. Results: The literature review revealed four important areas to act upon to decarbonise a healthcare clinic most efficiently. These are: energy use, waste minimisation/management, the behaviors/attitudes of staff, and decarbonising the supply chain. Conclusions: The pooled literature reveals an evidence-based set of recommendations or guiding principles to decarbonise healthcare clinics the most effectively. To maximise operational effectiveness, how this is achieved will differ between clinics. Although this research is written with reference to Australia, these identified initiatives are likely to be relatable to many other countries healthcare systems. Decarbonising health clinics will contribute to a sector-wide transition to more sustainable healthcare that will lead to improved environmental, social, economic and health outcomes.
... The amount of healthcare waste (HCW) is growing especially in the last few decades, and, according to Thakur and Ramesh (2015), one of the major reasons for this trend is because of growth of population and demand for health services. Badi, et al. (2019) explained HCW as a category of waste produced by operations of health and laboratory services. ...
Disposal of healthcare waste is a key issue of environmental sustainability in the world. The amount of healthcare waste is increasing every day, and it is necessary to adequately dispose of this kind of waste. There are various treatments for healthcare waste disposal, of which incineration of healthcare waste is one of the solutions. This paper suggests a model for selection of the type of incinerators that best solve the problem of healthcare waste in secondary healthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the selection of incinerators, extended sustainability criteria were applied. Basic sustainability criteria: environmental, economic, and social criteria, were extended with the technical criterion. To assess which of the incinerators best meets the needs for healthcare waste collection, multi-criteria decision-making was used. For this purpose, a combination of two MCDA methods was applied in this paper, namely full consistency method (FUCOM) and compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution (CRADIS). The FUCOM method was applied to determine the weights of the criteria, while the CRADIS method was applied to rank the alternatives. The best alternative of the six alternatives used is A2 (I8-M50), followed by alternative A1 (I8-M40), while the worst ranked alternative is A5 (I8-M100). These results were confirmed by applying the other six methods of multi-criteria analysis and the performed sensitivity analysis. The contribution of this paper is reflected through a new method of multi-criteria analysis that was used to solve decision-making problems. This method has shown simplicity and flexibility in operation and can be used in all problems when it is necessary to make a multi-criteria selection of alternatives.
