Healthcare waste management in Pakistan is not so good and healthcare facilities should be facilitated economically by the government to improve waste management procedures.

1. Healthcare waste management in Pakistan
Maryam S. Abbasi
Health, safety & Environment

2. What is health-care waste?
“Health-care waste includes all the waste generated by
health-care establishments, research facilities, and
laboratories. In addition, it includes the waste originating
from “minor” or “scattered” sources--such as that produced
in the course of health care undertaken in the home
(dialysis, insulin injections, etc.).”

3. Categories-WHO
Sharp waste
Infectious waste
Pathological waste
Pharmaceutical
waste
Chemical waste
Radioactive waste

4. Transportation
Interim storage
Collection
Segregation
WHO Guidelines for HCWM

5. HCWM in AJK & ICT
HCWM Teams
11%
HCWM internal
15%
Regular training
8%
Unawareness
12%
No
segregation
7%
Only sharps
segregation
10%
Infectious waste
segregation
8%
Other waste
segregation
0%
Labelled
containers
12%
Separate
containers (I/NI)
17%

6. Conti…
• 45% had temporary storage areas while 46% had
central storage area.
• No treatment of hospital waste for onsite waste in
60% of the facilities.
• 17% were using direct fire system, 18% incineration
and only 1% used chemical disinfection.

7. HCWM in Lahore
• 70% don’t use
protective
equipment's
• Doing job because
of economical
reasons
• Not aware of the
word “training”
HCWM in Karachi
• Disposal of waste into
open bins without
segregation
• No use of personal
protective equipment
• No training given for
waste disposal

8. HCWM in Rawalpindi

9. Conti…

10. HCWM in Islamabad

11. Cont….

12. Treatment methods
• Incineration
• Autoclaving
• Microwave irradiation
• Land Disposal
• Inertization

13. Conclusion and Recommendations
• Government and associated departments should
step in to control the situation. There is serious
need of handling of waste specially sharps and
syringes, pathological waste and infectious waste.
• Hospitals must be charged if they don’t follow
waste disposal guidelines.
• Workers should be given trainings for the
awareness of health hazardous of healthcare
waste.

14. Conti…
• Strict rules and regulations for the use of protective
equipment such as gloves and masks and special dress
for the collection and disposal of waste.
• Proper system for the segregation, collection, storage
and transportation of waste.
• Storage area must be separate and away from
healthcare facility so that it cannot affect health of
workers.
• Regular check-up for the workers involved in handling
of healthcare waste specially involved in handling of
infectious waste.

15. Thanks
E.mail:
maryamshabbir08@gmail.com