Healthcare waste management in Pakistan
Introduction:
Healthcare waste management is a very serious issue, directly belongs to public health. In developing or underdeveloped countries, the waste management system is not so good. Due to lack of infrastructure and training, hospital waste could not handled properly which causes infections and pandemics. Developed countries are trying to make this better. They are making strict international rules and regulations, providing financial assistance, training, and equipment to small countries so that they could manage the waste properly. Due to their efforts, the situation is much better than the past but it could not said as an ideal situation.
Situation in Pakistan:
Unfortunately, situation of healthcare waste management in Pakistan is also not so good. Except some big government and private hospitals, staff even do not know how to tackle the waste in mostly hospitals. According to health department of Pakistan, hospitals in Pakistan produces around 250,000 Tons of waste per year. Unfortunately, there is no national framework or any useful institution which tackles properly with this waste. Usually, waste management in hospitals done by ordinary sanitary workers who do not know how to deal with it as the result they put their life in danger.
Ways to make the situation better:
Following are the some ways to make the healthcare waste management situation better in Pakistan.
- Strict rules and regulations:
Poor situation of healthcare waste management could be overcome by making strict and definite legislation. There are some laws before but they are inadequate. Moreover, they could not be implemented properly.
2. National framework:
There should be a national framework that provides way to deal the waste properly. For example, how to train the sanitary staff, what would be the safety measures, where should be the waste taken to, from hospital etc.
3. Strong system of check and balance:
There should be a strong system of check and balance. A proper institution or more than one institutions should be originate to keep a check and balance on hospitals.
Conclusion:
The situation of healthcare waste management in Pakistan is much better than past but it still needs more improvement. For example, in nearer past one injection syringe was used for more than one patients which endangered their lives. Due to increase in some infections like TB, Government launched a nationwide campaign to encounter this multiple use of syringe. This campaign was much succeeded to achieve its goals but still in some cases, it reveals that syringe was used multiple times or someone repacked or recycle a used syringe. This example shows us that all is not well in Pakistan. By taking steps stated above, situation could be better than now.
