Summary
The research paper was published in the Journal of Environmental Management
It offers a decision-making framework that can be used by hospitals while selecting agencies for medical waste disposal
A study conducted by a team of researchers led by a professor from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has thrown light on the parameters that hospitals can focus on while selecting a firm for sustainable and safe medical waste disposal, the institute said in a statement recently.
The study, led by Surya Prakash Singh from the department of Management Studies in IIT Delhi, also prepared a framework aimed at guiding hospitals in the decision-making process while selecting an agency for medical waste disposal – an important part of hospital management, which has a direct impact on the environment.
“The aim of this study is to propose a hybrid multi criteria decision support framework integrated with mathematical models to tackle the issue of safe disposal of hazardous and infectious healthcare waste,” said Singh.
The study, he added, guides the hospital management in selecting economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable healthcare waste disposal firms.
Titled ‘Selection of Healthcare Waste Disposal Firms Using a Multi-Method Approach’, the research paper was published in the Journal of Environmental Management. This study has highlighted ten key success factors that hospitals need to focus on while selecting a medical waste disposal firm.
The factors identified in the study are as follows:
- Manpower of a particular outsourcing firm.
- · Cases filed in a court of law against the healthcare waste (HCW) outsourcing firm.
- · The cost of providing services by an outsourcing firm to a particular hospital.
- · The reputation of existing clients of HCW outsourcing firm.
- · Number of years for which an outsourcing firm has been functional.
- · The technology available with an outsourcing firm for disposal and recycling of HCW.
- · HCW collection instruments and vehicles available with outsourcing firms.
- · Training and awareness programmes about HCW provided to housekeeping staff and patients.
- · Capacity planning for recycling of HCW collected by outsourcing firms.
- · Risk associated with the handling and disposal of HCW.
Ankur Chauhan from Jaipuriar Institute of Management in Noida assisted Singh in this study. The researchers believe that the outcomes of the study will help policymakers in the healthcare sector, hospitals, and entrepreneurs involved in the medical waste collection and reuse, and environment regulating agencies.
Last updated on 02 Feb 2022
