What is it about?
It is noted, healthcare waste is the second most dangerous waste after radiation waste. But unfortunately, not every hospital staff perceives it risky. Kathmandu, a densely populated city of Nepal, has a large number of tertiary treatment facilities. The expansion of health care facilities across the nation has led to major challenges in managing healthcare waste.
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Photo by Dustan Woodhouse on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Unknowingly, due to close contact with the infected healthcare waste, health care workers and waste handlers suffer the most. Howbeit, when considerable attention has been given over the past few years, healthcare waste management is still neglected by concerned authorities in Nepal. The Government of Nepal has also developed guidelines to manage healthcare waste, but, compliance with healthcare waste management has not been consistent with Nepal’s recommended guidelines for most health care institutions.
Perspectives
Efforts specifically designed to focus on R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Refine, Recycle, and Recover contributes to zero waste production from healthcare facilities, which could be potentially harmless or non-threatening to human health and surroundings. Thereby, let’s attempt to make healthcare waste non-risky through proper treatment and management.
Sulata Karki
Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Perceived risk and associated factors of healthcare waste in selected hospitals of Kathmandu, Nepal, PLoS ONE, July 2020, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235982.
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