Sustainable waste management practices: An empirical investigation of healthcare

Abstract

Purpose: Literature lacks the empirical studies targeting on capturing the perception about healthcare waste management (HCWM) practices of various organizations, which are involved in generating, handling and disposing of the healthcare waste (HCW). Due to population burden and poor handling of infectious wastes, sustainable HCWM is becoming the challenging issue for the developing countries. To cope up with the situation, the studies must be conducted for analyzing the various issues involved in managing infectious HCW. Taken together, these issues are critical to tackling in order to establish a robust and efficient HCWM system. This research intends to provide the empirical insights on various issues like:importance of establishing sustainable HCWM system; objectives of setting up sustainable HCWM system; and barriers and enablers of implementing sustainable HCWM system in India. Methodology: A structured questionnaire has been developed and tested to collect the opinion from various organizations involved in HCWM process. The respondents are taken from the healthcare facilities, medical institutions, waste treatment facilities and Government officials involved in regulating the HCWM processes. The present study has laid down four hypotheses related to concerned issues on HCWM, which have been analyzed in two stages: preliminary analysis and statistical analysis using statistical tools. Results: The results indicate that employees from healthcare facilities (HCFs) are having a different perception from those of waste treatment facilities and Government regulatory bodies on various issues related to HCWM system. HCFs’ employees are more focused on delivering healthcare services, rather than on the byproduct they are producing during the process. The conflicting perceptions of the HCFs’ employees have been the major challenge to the proper disposal of HCW. Practical Implications: The survey revealed following important objectives for hospitals’ administration for implementing sustainable HCWM system: quality services to patients, protect people from infectious waste, proper segregation system, develop sustainable practices of handling waste, develop a holistic mechanism for handling waste, and training to waste handling workers. The study highlighted some of the key enablers of implementing sustainable HCWM system like: knowledge and training aids to waste handling team, adoption of the latest technology for treating HCW, segregation of HCW. Questionnaire survey also focused on the main barriers obstructing the implementation of sustainable HCWM system like: lack of infrastructure and convenience, insufficient budget allocation, no awareness among waste handling workers, poor transportation of bio-medical waste from hospitals to treatment facilities. Originality: The present study tries to touch the ground reality behind the poor management of HCW. Empirical results presented various implications to hospital administration, waste treatment facilities and Government by highlighting the major issues and factors for implementing efficient and effective HCWM system.