Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

Collection, Storage and
Transportation
Waste from healthcare facilities are collected
and segregated at the point of generation into
different color coded containers based on the
type of waste as shown in the Table.
Collection and storage is the responsibility of
the healthcare facility.
In the Bangkok Metropolitan area, the
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
provides services for the collection, transport
and disposal of healthcare wastes to both the
public and private healthcare facilities. On an
average, in 2005, BMA collected and
transported 8.5 tons of healthcare wastes
every day (0.11 kg/bed/day) from 582
hospitals, public health services centers and
healthcare institutions. This is done using
trucks of 4 m 3 capacity and controlled to a
temperature below 15 0 C.
Waste Disposal by Incineration in MoPH Hospitals
On Site
30%
Private
50%
Local Authority
20%
Color Code Used for Healthcare Waste
Type of waste Storage Color Code
Infectious Waste
• Sharps Bins Red
• Non-Sharps Plastic Bags Red
Hazardous Waste Yellow
General Waste Plastic Bags Black
Treatment and Disposal
Incineration is the most common treatment
method used in Thailand. The Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration operates two
incinerators of capacity 10 tons/day for the
disposal of healthcare wastes in the Bangkok
area. As of 2005, the MoPH had installed
incinerators at all large hospitals, covering
87% of the total hospital beds under its
jurisdiction. According to the Department of
Health (DoH) 750 medical incinerators have
been installed in hospitals under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Health
(MoPH) all over the country.
About 30 % of the hospitals under MoPH
have on-site incinerators, 50 % disposes
through private
companies, and the rest
20 % manages by local
authorities as shown in
Figure on the left.
Basic treatment of the
wastes is done prior to
transporting them to
municipalities and Local
Sanitation Administrations
for those regional
healthcare institutions
that do not have waste
disposal systems of their
own.
89 HEALTHCARE WASTE IN ASIA: INTUITIONS & INSIGHTS