RIYADH, 3 March 2005 — A World Health Organization expert has stressed the need for a self-assessment system in the disposal of medical waste, since it could create health hazards if not properly handled.
Zghondi Raki, an expert at the WHO Regional Center for Environmental Health Activities, said he would urge the Ministry of Health to ensure that all hospitals conduct an environmental audit to eliminate or reduce the risk of any infection caused by improper handling of medical waste.
Improper handling of medical waste has been implicated in the incidence of diseases like Hepatitis A and B. Nosocomial, or secondary infection, is infection acquired via infected medical instruments or medical waste to which the patient has been exposed.
Raki was speaking at a presentation on medical waste disposal practices followed at Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Mishari Hospital, which generates on an average 24,000 kg waste annually. The hospital was declared the best in the Kingdom last year in terms of environmental hygiene. It was awarded The Ministry of Health Shield last year for exemplary health care waste management. Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Mishari, the hospital’s owner, was also present.
A documentary on the hospital’s medical waste management practice was shown at the presentation. Following the video, Dr. Musharraf Ali Khurshid said the hospital adheres to rigid standards in the disposal of medical waste, especially in the handling of neurosurgery products. He pointed out that the hospital conducts an environmental audit every three months to ensure that the highest standards are followed in the interest of patients and hospital employees, who are also put through an orientation program. The paramedical staff concerned are given guidelines prepared by the hospital’s medical waste management committee.
Speaking to Arab News, the WHO specialist said medical waste practices in the Kingdom are superior to those of many other countries in the region. “In fact, we may describe Saudi Arabia as a pioneering country in the health care sector. There is a substantial investment in this sector reflecting the government’s firm commitment to provide quality health care.”
According to available data, the Saudi Gulf Environmental Protection Company has set up three medical waste treatment projects in Jeddah, Riyadh and Makkah at a total cost of SR250 million.
The Jeddah project, worth SR120 million, treats more than 600 tons of medical waste daily, Khalid Abdulghani, board member of the company, told Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper. He said a plant in Riyadh with similar capacity would follow the launch of the Jeddah facility. The Makkah unit will have a daily capacity of 300 tons.
Another pioneering step taken by the Kingdom in tackling environmental pollution caused by improper or unhygienic disposal of medical waste in hospitals was the setting up of Jeddah Bio City (JBC). JBC would have a biotechnology complex along with its supporting industries.
The SR20 million project, headed by Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed as honorary chairman, is a collaboration between JBC and a leading French manufacturer of environmentally-friendly incinerators. The French company is to install equipment for high temperature incineration of hospital waste.
The incinerators completely destroy waste including syringes, bandages, contaminated blood and fluid waste, and unusable medicines. They can also recover energy from industrial waste made of plastic, tar, resin, paint and textile, and could be used for cremation of animal carcasses.
