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Day after day, the problem of Medical Waste disposal is becoming worse due
to the remarkable evolution of Medical Services all over the world. The
problem however has a greater impact on medical waste management in
countries under development, due to the lack of national strategic planning
as well as the absence of new technologies.
The potential dangers of delaying the implementation of solid, liquid, and
gaseous medical waste disposition, especially heavy metals, and
dioxincontaining wastes have been recognized by Health Authorities in most
countries, including the Arab World.
Several conferences, symposia and meetings were convened with the
participation of health-providing sectors, ministries of health,
environmental agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGO's).
The consensus of those meetings was to stress the urgency of implementing
the medical waste issue as soon as possible from health, environmental,
social, ethical and legal aspects.
Unfortunately, a great
majority of such plans and programs has not yet been sorted out. In order to
solve the problem, or at best were ineffective, especially in dealing with
the issues of heavy metals, radioactive waste, and dioxin, among other
materials with negative cumulative health impact on humans and other forms
of life over the years.
Hence, Arab countries need to take actions and to start organizing plans
that are urgent to find a solution for the medical waste problem , utilizing
international standardized central schemes the management of medical waste,
similar to those in Western countries. This will unify efforts, cut high
costs, and provide highly efficient administrative, supervising, and
executive strategy.
Hospital-based and individualized plans seem to be fruitless. Centralized
station in each country appears to be the best available choice.
The Disposal of medical waste has to be dealt with by governmental, health,
and medical sectors that have direct responsibility towards the citizens who
have been living side by side with potentially hazardous materials for tens
of years that can also adversely affect the future generations.
Along with the zest living forms, half solutions and procrastination are of
no value in dealing with this matter which should be on the top of the list
in the agenda of health and environment authorities, and also the NGO's that
should exert more pressure to accomplish a noble aim.
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