Pakistan produces 250,000 tons of medical waste annually

KARACHI: Around 250,000 tons of medical waste is produced annually from all healthcare facilities in the country, revealed Sikandar K Sherwani, a lecturer of microbiology at the Federal Urdu University, on Thursday.

He was speaking at a two-day workshop on infection control in hospitals organised by the Sindh government’s Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme. When waste containing plastics are burnt, a chemical called dioxin is produced. It can cause cancer, birth defects, hearing and cognitive defects and behavioural alternations in infants. “Infectious agents are passed to susceptible people when they come in contact with an infected person’s skin, mucus membranes or body fluids,” Sherwani said.

He added that aerial transmission of the infections is more critical. “Infections spreading via respiratory secretions, which are formed when an infected person breaths, coughs or sneezes, can easily infect a vulnerable person,” he explained.

Sherwani stressed that during a surgical intervention, a large number of gloves become perforated. He instructed hospital staff present at the workshop to wash their hands for five to 10 minutes with an antibacterial detergent or rub them twice for two minutes with an alcoholic antiseptic solution. He taught them that microorganisms can be transmitted from their source to a new host through direct or indirect contact, in the air, or by vectors.

Sherwani clarified that direct contact between patients does not usually occur in healthcare facilities, but an infected healthcare worker can touch a patient and directly transmit a large number of microorganisms to the new host.

Increase in the incidence of deadly infections due to greater exposure to microorganisms and viruses that cause blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C, has led the medical community to initiate efforts to prevent and limit exposure among healthcare workers.

According to Sherwani, potential exposures are not limited to needle sticks alone, because manipulation of other sharp instruments or mucus membrane exposures to infected body fluids also can result in the transmission of infectious diseases.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2010.