Research on Optimization of Healthcare Waste Management System Based on Green Governance Principle in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Presented and prioritizing waste management strategies using SWOT and QSPM approach in two private hospitals in Yazd in 2021

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to present a strategic waste management in two private hospitals in Yazd using models of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) and quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM).

METHODS

The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the organization was identified according to existing documents and expert team. The internal and external factors were identified by internal factor evaluation (IFE) and external factor evaluation (EFE) matrices. The strategies to improve waste management in two hospitals were presented by comparing internal and external factors. Finally, the attractiveness table was compiled and weighted using the QSPM method to prioritize the strategies.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that 24 strengths, 30 weaknesses, 16 opportunities, and 22 threats were identified. The final score of internal and external factors for hospital A and B were (X: 2.37, Y:1.88) and (X: 2.37, Y: 2.01), respectively. Based on the results, 12 strategies were presented. Finally, the strategy of "the improvement of green management indicators" was implemented as a priority according to QSPM matrix.

CONCLUSION

The result of this study duplicated that using the QSPM and SWOT models is assist to present viable strategies to improve the health-care waste management.

Collection and transportation system construction of potentially viral municipal solid waste during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

The transmission route of COVID-19 through municipal solid waste (MSW) has been confirmed and receives increasing attention. Potentially viral municipal solid waste (PVMSW) refers to the domestic waste generated by risky areas and epidemic-related populations under a major epidemic in their daily lives or in activities that provide services for their daily lives. For its potential infectivity, PVMSW should be properly collected and transported. This study aimed to standardize the collection and transportation of PVMSW and proposed specific construction schemes of PVMSW collection and transportation systems for three situations which were city-wide lockdown status, medium and high-risk area, and home quarantine separately. In the cases of city-wide lockdown status and home quarantine, PVMSW collection and transportation systems were constructed qualitatively with the examples of Wuhan and Shanghai respectively, and in the case of medium and high-risk area, the systems were constructed quantitatively through the development of a waste collection and transportation costs model. To reduce the risks of virus transmission during the collection and transportation process, the collection and transportation links should be minimized. For the disposal of PVMSW, medical waste treatment facilities and MSW incineration plants should be prioritized. Furthermore, the results showed that the total number of people and the transfer capacity of MSW transfer facility were the two main influencing factors for the selection of PVMSW collection and transportation systems in medium and high-risk area. This article could help manage MSW for preventing virus transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar future epidemics.

Waste Management and the Perspective of a Green Hospital-A Systematic Narrative Review

The concept of a "green hospital" is used in reference to a hospital that includes the environment as part of its quality services and one that pays attention to the sustainable design of buildings. Waste disposal represents a potential risk for the environment; therefore, waste collection from healthcare centers is a key environmental issue. Our study aims to systematically review the experiences acquired in worldwide nosocomial settings related to the management of healthcare waste. Nineteen studies, selected between January 2020 and April 2022 on Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases were included in our systematic narrative review. Operating room and hemodialysis activities seem to be the procedures most associated with waste production. To deal with waste production, the 5Rs rule (reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and research) was a common suggested strategy to derive the maximum practical benefit while generating the minimum amount of waste. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the greening process of nosocomial environments. Waste management requires a multifactorial approach to deal with medical waste management, even considering the climate change that the world is experiencing. Education of health personnel and managers, regulation by governmental institutions, creation of an "environmental greening team", and awareness of stakeholders and policymakers are some of the measures needed for the greening of healthcare facilities.

To what extent do waste management strategies need adaptation to post-COVID-19?

The world has been grappling with the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year. Various sectors have been affected by COVID-19 and its consequences. The waste management system is one of the sectors affected by such unpredictable pandemics. The experience of COVID-19 proved that adaptability to such pandemics and the post-pandemic era had become a necessity in waste management systems and this requires an accurate understanding of the challenges that have been arising. The accurate information and data from most countries severely affected by the pandemic are not still available to identify the key challenges during and post-COVID-19. The documented evidence from literature has been collected, and the attempt has been made to summarize the rising challenges and the lessons learned. This review covers all raised challenges concerning the various aspects of the waste management system from generation to final disposal (i.e., generation, storage, collection, transportation, processing, and burial of waste). The necessities and opportunities are recognized for increasing flexibility and adaptability in waste management systems. The four basic pillars are enumerated to adapt the waste management system to the COVID-19 pandemic and post-COVID-19 conditions. Striving to support and implement a circular economy is one of its basic strategies.

Consumer Attitudes as Part of Lifestyle in the COVID-19 Emergency

The pandemic brought significant changes to the functioning of society. This article examines the opinion of consumers in south-eastern Poland on lifestyle elements such as shopping preferences, physical activity, holiday preferences and others, against the background of the COVID-19 situation. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between selected components included in the lifestyle of society in the context of the COVID-19 emergency situation. The research was conducted from 9 November 2020 to 17 January 2021. In order to identify the respondents’ attitudes and their perception of the issues discussed in this study, a questionnaire was created containing a number of theses formulations assessed by the respondents in terms of compliance with their beliefs. The evaluation was carried out using a seven-point bipolar Likert scale with a neutral value. The study was not probabilistic, therefore the inference applies only to the studied group. A total of 737 questionnaires meeting the research assumptions were collected. The form was used to identify ecological attitudes, shopping behavior, food preferences, physical activity and tourist preferences in the COVID-19 situation in which the research was conducted. Also identified were holiday destinations in 2019 and 2020, preferred diet type, and socio-demographic background: sex, age, place of residence and approximate per capita income. The research revealed that the purchasing behavior of the respondents was a predictor of their physical activity and tourist preferences. Studies have also shown that the food preferences of the respondents are an important part of their balanced lifestyle and depend on the sex of the person. The respondents preferred an active lifestyle as a form of pro-health activity when living in the situation of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents’ interest in domestic tourism also increased.

Developing Green Healthcare Activities in the Total Quality Management Framework

This study examines the effectiveness of green healthcare activities in hospitals based on the total quality management (TQM) framework. The proposed research model and associated hypotheses were tested using structural equations modeling based on the data collected from 261 employees at general hospitals in South Korea. The results of the study revealed that the role of top management is essential for the successful implementation of green healthcare activities through motivating employees for their active participation in the program, providing continuous education and training on the importance of environmental sustainability, and diligent monitoring of the progress at the organization level. The study findings provide theoretical and practical implications on strategic approaches to planning and implementing green healthcare activities in hospitals for the greater good.

Medical Waste Treatment Technologies for Energy, Fuels, and Materials Production: A Review

The importance of medical waste management has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the increase in medical waste quantity and the significant dangers of these highly infected wastes for human health and the environment. This innovative review focuses on the possibility of materials, gas/liquid/solid fuels, thermal energy, and electric power production from medical waste fractions. Appropriate and promising treatment/disposal technologies, such as (i) acid hydrolysis, (ii) acid/enzymatic hydrolysis, (iii) anaerobic digestion, (vi) autoclaving, (v) enzymatic oxidation, (vi) hydrothermal carbonization/treatment, (vii) incineration/steam heat recovery system, (viii) pyrolysis/Rankine cycle, (ix) rotary kiln treatment, (x) microwave/steam sterilization, (xi) plasma gasification/melting, (xii) sulfonation, (xiii) batch reactor thermal cracking, and (xiv) torrefaction, were investigated. The medical waste generation data were collected according to numerous researchers from various countries, and divided into gross medical waste and hazardous medical waste. Moreover, the medical wastes were separated into categories and types according to the international literature and the medical waste fractions’ percentages were estimated. The capability of the examined medical waste treatment technologies to produce energy, fuels, and materials, and eliminate the medical waste management problem, was very promising with regard to the near future.

Disposal of Waste from Tattoo and Beauty Parlors in Poland: A Survey-Based Analysis on Epidemiological Safety

Appropriate waste management is increasingly relevant due to environmental and infectious disease transmission concerns. An anonymous observational cross-sectional study was conducted from 2013-2017 of 262 tattooists and 824 beauticians throughout Poland. Knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and compliance with blood-borne infection controls and correct waste disposal were assessed. Tattooists correctly addressed hazardous waste significantly more often than did beauticians (83.3% vs. 44.8%). Medical waste was collected by a specialist company in 90.1% of tattoo parlors and 63.3%of beauty parlors. Tattooists correctly used and disposed of sharps more frequently than beauticians (93.1% vs. 68.9%); however, 46.4% of beauticians and 12.4% of tattooists discarded waste into municipal trash, including sharps (27.1% and 2.6%, respectively). Incorrect collection and labeling of biological waste present occupational risk to waste disposal personnel. Education and instructional controls could improve health safety in this industry. Biological waste management processes are restrictive for medical services and liberal for beauty services, an industry for which they should also be applied more comprehensively.