Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

POLICIES AND LEGISLATION
Until the 1980s, Malaysia had no proper
system for the management of healthcare
waste. The emergence of HIV initiated the
revision of policies and guidelines for the
prevention and control of infectious diseases
and healthcare waste handling.
The MoH in collaboration with the DoE took
initiatives to include clinical waste in the
category of scheduled waste, as defined in the
Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes)
Regulations, 1989 under the Environmental
Quality Act. All transportation and disposal of
hazardous or scheduled waste is to be
regulated under this Act.
A system of reporting the waste inventory to
DoE using standard consignment notes has
been made mandatory since the above
regulation was first imposed. Now the system
has been elevated to e-consignment notes.
Non-compliances are subject to penalty under
the Environmental Quality Act.
All management responsibilities and legal
framework of the healthcare waste is spelt out
in the Management Guidelines of Clinical
and Related Wastes in Hospitals and
Healthcare Establishments. The guideline was
drafted by the Engineering Services Division
in 1993 and is fully complied by the three
concessionaires. Further, an Action Plan for
Waste Management in Hospitals and
Healthcare Establishments was drafted to
assist the MoH staff and health professionals
to oversee and manage healthcare waste in a
proper manner. However, the legislation
governing healthcare waste is the
Environmental Quality Act through the
Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste)
Regulation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act
passed in 1994 paved way to the legislative
framework for the development of
comprehensive CWMS in government
hospital and healthcare environment.
55 HEALTHCARE WASTE IN ASIA: INTUITIONS & INSIGHTS