Hospital Waste Management Case Study

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Ethical consideration Many ethical dilemmas develop from the fact that while hospitals act as the primary ‘stations’ that provides health services for individuals and the community, there is a negative impact of hospital waste on the environment and the public health. The lack of proper acknowledgment and management of these ethical issues could lead to violation of human rights, along with poor outcomes in terms of waste management strategies or interventions. Sustainability Each hospital produces daily a considerable amount of waste, and the process of management infectious waste could introduce hazards to the surrounding environment, causing additional environmental, economic, and disease burden. Small hospitals generally constitute a problem due to being either far from management sites or lack needed infrastructure even for using the minimal standards. Dumping in public water systems, leaching from landfills, or heavy use of incineration, are examples of management process that poses direct risks to the water, soil, and air. Environmental Impact Assessment and risk assessment tools should be used efficiently while planning for building a …show more content…

Chemicals, toxins, waste water, ashes and other outcomes of infectious waste management process will impact the immediate surrounding and distal environment, in turn affecting the health of individuals in other sites, or countries. Without proper control, medical waste could be illegally traded, cross borders and increase health risks at distant sites, adding in their burden. Due to this interconnectedness, it is difficult to pin the responsibility on one actor; local, national, or international. The ethical response would require cooperation and resource mobilization across these levels in consensus on the importance of action towards these potential

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