Did you know that due to the pandemic, the percentage of medical waste disposal has shot higher than it has ever been before?
The number of masks being discarded so freely which can be seen floating on the rivers, puddles on the road is devastating.
Not only that, there are other clinical waste (such as syringes used for vaccination!) that also contributes to the disposal of medical waste.
Read on to find out why it is absolutely vital that these medical waste are disposed of properly.
What Is Medical Waste?
This is a very important question if we are to identify what constitutes a medical waste.
So medical waste is any waste generated as a by-product of healthcare work in doctor’s or dentist’s offices, hospitals, and labs.
Any item that may come into contact with the body during diagnosis, research, drug administration, or any other sort of treatment is included.
These waste have a high possibility to be infectious and contagious due to its close contact with contaminated body fluids.
Types of Medical Waste
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are a few classifications which embody the term medical waste which some are listed below:
- Pathological waste
Tissue, body parts, blood, and bodily fluids from humans and animals.
- Infectious waste
Infectious or contaminated materials.
- Genotoxic waste
Carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic hazardous toxic waste or cytotoxic medications.
5 Reasons Medical Waste Disposal Is Crucial
Below are 5 reasons to demonstrate the crucialness of medical waste disposal:
- Hospital brand and people’s perception
It is worthwhile to note that people’s perception will ultimately affect the brand of a medical organisation.
In today’s society, we place a greater emphasis on environmental protection.
Increases in investigative reporting means if medical waste is not managed appropriately, people will be bound to find out and hold you accountable.
- Community at risk
As it is done commonly, medical waste is transported and disposed of in landfills.
This is a direct threat to those in the vicinity as the medical waste would release toxic compounds into the air, land, and water.
Due to the fact that many of these compounds have a long half-life, they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade.
During this time, there will always be a surge in waste disposal which ultimately contributes to the increase in contamination.
- Threat to human population and wildlife
Most of the waste we observe will go out into the ocean and this is very dangerous when the sea life absorbs it.
Why is this dangerous? Well, it affects the food chain, of course. In a way that the fish that you eat becomes poisonous instead of giving you nutrients!
Medical waste in the water system exposes wildlife to the toxic effects of medical waste compounds. This is all very detrimental to the ecosystem.
In which can cause birth deformities, general health problems, and exposure to potentially deadly infections in both wildlife and humans.
- Supply of water
As discussed earlier, medical waste finds its way into the water system if it is not properly disposed of. It seeps into the groundwater after soaking through the soil.
This groundwater then runs into springs, streams, and rivers throughout the area. It doesn’t end there, though. Medical waste has the potential to spread far beyond the landfill site.
Imagine, at some point, this is the same water that will become our drinking water. It can’t be decontaminated using traditional methods.
Thus, humans who utilise this contaminated water for drinking and food preparation are at risk.
- Observance of laws and regulations
Medical waste is legally mandated to be disposed of on a regular basis so that it does not accumulate within a facility.
Any facility that produces regulated waste must also have a clearly defined medical waste processing plan in place.
Before being disposed of, regulated medical waste is carried to an approved autoclave treatment facility for sterilisation.
Penalties and fines shall be imposed to those who would not oblige.
Best Medical Waste Disposal Service In Malaysia
Speaking of penalties, Malaysia is rigorous regarding the matter of medical waste disposal such as dangerous drugs like Morphine and Midazolam.
Let Ideal Nauticare offer their expertise in managing these medical waste disposals for you.
They assist with the disposal of not only harmful drugs but also all types of medicine for a very affordable fee.
Aside from that, Ideal Nauticare is committed to keeping our seas safe for both humans and marine life.
As a result of this concern, professional bodies in their team would be in charge of medicine disposal. For you, they will prepare all the relevant documents so you won’t have to worry.
In conclusion, medical waste disposal is very crucial and it must especially be done so with care considering the environment and the people around.
You’re preoccupied with taking care of your patients and running your practise.
You’ll need a licenced waste disposal provider you can rely on to make disposal simple and straightforward.
We suggest you start with Ideal Nauticare, the expert on medical waste disposal AND medicines and medical equipment for various types of vessels!
Trust their extensive years of experience as the company is a one-stop centre for you to fulfill your medical maritime needs and requirements.
Ideal Nauticare strives to be the leader in the industry by delivering excellent customer service, exceptional value for money, and an unrivaled product range at a fair price.
Excellent customer service is the key to a successful business, which is why Ideal Nauticare works hard to provide the best service to customers.
In addition, passionate, highly driven, motivated team members are the core of the company’s business.
As needed, Ideal Nauticare can help you to safely dispose of dangerous drugs and all kinds of medicine at a reasonable price.
The disposal process of medicine should be conducted by professional bodies like Ideal Nauticare and all the necessary documents needed will be prepared by the company for you.
Furthermore, other than providing 24-hour free medical consultation service to clients, Ideal Nauticare also provides medical education and training upon request.
Clients can also seek manpower medic supply as Ideal Nauticare provides on-site medical staffing and assists maritime clients with relevant regulations.
Ideal Nauticare will provide the best service to suit your medical needs so contact them now to get high quality and reliable medical supplies AND help with medical waste disposal!
Check Ideal Nauticare out here!
