Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

Department heads
Department heads are responsible for the
segregation, storage, and disposal of waste
generated in their departments. They should
ensure that all doctors, nurses, and clinical and
non-clinical professional staff in respective
departments are aware of the segregation and
storage procedures. Further, to assist the staff
of the department to liaise to monitor the
standard working procedures and to train key
staff members in waste segregation and
disposal procedures. Besides, department
heads have the responsibility to encourage
medical and nursing staff to be cautious so as
to ensure that secondary staff follow correct
procedures at all times.
Doctors, nurses, laborers, care takers of
patients
The roles of doctors, nurses, laborers, care
takers of patients include following the correct
procedures for segregation, storage, transport,
and disposal of waste and maintaining highest
standards in healthcare waste management.
Further, nurses and laborers should participate
in continuous training on handling and
disposal of waste and other waste
management issues specific to the
departments. Care takers of patients should
comply with the waste management practices
of the facility and cooperate with them.
CHAPTER 5_RECOMMENDATIONS
External stakeholders
The success of the healthcare waste
management depends on not only the internal
stakeholder participation but also external
stakeholder commitment and participation.
The roles of the external stakeholders are
briefly described below.
Government and policymakers
The role of policymakers is to formulate
integrated, responsive, realistic and sound
healthcare waste management policies and
legislations to address the healthcare waste in
an appropriate manner. Further, the
government is responsible for developing a
framework for the controlled disposal of
HCW and to ensure that healthcare centers to
share the responsibility to manage wastes
appropriately.
Law enforcement authorities
These authorities have the responsibility to
ensure compliance with prevailing regulations,
to monitor and initiate action against
violators. The gradual implementation of the
law enforcement by the authorities is
recommended in preference to introduce all
measures simultaneously, particularly where
existing practices are inadequate.
Waste management service providers
The service providers for waste disposal
should insist on segregation of waste adhering
to prevailing regulations. Further, they should
ensure the correct segregation of waste at the
point of generation by clear identification of
the different categories of waste. The service
providers for waste disposal should insist on
segregation of waste adhering to prevailing
regulations
Academia
The academia has the duty to build capacity
at academic level for better healthcare waste
management. This will enhance the awareness
concerning the proper healthcare waste
management and its importance among the
communities.
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