Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

IFC REQUIREMENTS FOR
HEALTHCARE PROJECTS
The International Finance Corporation (IFC)
is a member of the World Bank Group and as
the name implies the agency provides
investments and advisory services to build the
private sector in developing countries. IFC
fosters sustainable economic growth in
developing countries by financing private
sector investment, mobilizing capital in the
international financial markets, and providing
advisory services to businesses and
governments. IFC applies to all the projects it
finances environmental and social standards to
minimize their impact on the environment
and on affected communities. In keeping its
core values and care for the environment, IFC
has developed a General Environmental
Health and Safety Guidelines for various
industrial sectors that it finances. The
Guidelines contain information on crosscutting
environmental, health, and safety
issues potentially applicable to all industry
sectors. A specific set of guidelines for
healthcare facilities has also been developed
(IFC, 2007). The following sections provide an
overview of IFC requirements for healthcare
facilities in terms of waste management.
According to the IFC, waste from healthcare
facilities can be divided into two groups. The
first consists of general waste, similar in
composition to domestic waste, generated
during administrative, housekeeping, and
maintenance functions. The second group
consists of specific categories of hazardous
healthcare waste, as categorized by WHO.
Healthcare facilities are required to establish,
operate and maintain a healthcare waste
management system (HWMS) adequate for
the scale and type of activities and identified
hazards. Facility operators should undertake
regular assessment of waste generation
quantities and categories to facilitate waste
management planning, and investigate
opportunities for waste minimization on a
continuous basis. In addition to the guidance
provided on solid and hazardous waste
management in the General EHS Guidelines,
the HWMS should include the following
components:
Waste Minimization, Reuse, and
Recycling
Facilities should consider practices and
procedures to minimize waste generation,
without sacrificing patient hygiene and safety
considerations, including:
Source reduction measures
Waste toxicity reduction measures
Use of efficient stock management
practices and monitoring (e.g. for chemical
and pharmaceutical stocks)
Maximization of safe equipment reuse
practices following sterilization and
disinfection (e.g. sharps containers)
119 HEALTHCARE WASTE IN ASIA: INTUITIONS & INSIGHTS