OESHCO to take over clinical waste handling in Muscat
MUSCAT -- The state-owned Oman Environmental Services Holding Company SAOC (OESHCO) is formulating a national strategy to manage the large volumes of potentially lethal medical waste generated by the country's vast healthcare infrastructure.
Details about the proposed blueprint were unveiled at a workshop hosted by OESHCO at its premises at Al Athaiba yesterday. In attendance were representatives from public and private sector healthcare institutions, as well as officials from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) and related bodies concerned with hospital waste management.
Opening the workshop, OESHCO Chief Executive Officer Engineer Azhar Haroun al Kindy (pictured) underlined the importance of an integrated approach to the management of medical waste, which may comprise used needles, syringes, soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples and other such clinical waste. Poor management of such healthcare waste can potentially expose the community at large to infection, toxic effects and injuries, and risks polluting the environment, it is pointed out.
According to the CEO, around 87 per cent of all medical waste generated in the Sultanate comes from hospitals and healthcare instituted managed by the Ministry of Health, as well as those run by Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Ministry of Defence, Royal Oman Police and Petroleum Development Oman. Private healthcare institutions contribute around 3-4 per cent of the total volume.
Current market capacities for processing, treatment and disposal are inadequate to ensure a safe and sustainable healthcare waste management programme for the entire Sultanate, Al Kindy stressed. While some of the larger hospitals have in-house incinerators to treat medical waste, others dispose of their waste at municipal landfills and dumpsites.
As a first step in its efforts to manage the estimated 15 tonnes of medical waste generated daily around the country, OESHCO commissioned Canada-based SENES Consultants Limited (in partnership with AAW) to study the feasibility of healthcare waste management in the Sultanate. Preliminary findings from the study were presented at yesterday's workshop.
As part of its brief, the consultants assessed the different types and volumes of healthcare waste generated in all healthcare establishments (both public and private sectors) across the country. Current waste disposal trends were also documented.
"Based on the data collection and current healthcare waste management practices, a framework for the management of healthcare waste is being developed taking into consideration an appropriate, safe, and cost effective strategy for collection, transport, treatment, storage, recycling disposal options, site identification, technology options, tariff setting (if any), and financial recovery," said Al Kindy.
Importantly, a pilot clinical waste management scheme will be rolled out in Muscat Governorate on January 1, 2012, the CEO stated. Waste generated by both public and private healthcare facilities within the capital region will be collected, transported and disposed of under the pilot project, he said. Expired drugs and pharmaceuticals from pharmacies will also be collected and safely disposed of as part of OESHCO's initiative.
"This is a breakthrough in efforts to manage medical wastes pending the finalisation and implementation of a nationwide programme for the management of all hospital wastes. We are also optimistic that the management of other waste streams will also make headway next year," Al Kindy added.
OESHCO is also currently working closely with the Ministry of Health to take over healthcare waste management services from the ministry. "OESHCO will be fully responsible for the management of healthcare waste services as soon as all the necessary actions associated with the handling and taking over are completed. Action plans are also being developed to include all private healthcare institutions in Muscat into the programme.
© Oman Daily Observer 2011
