Recently, there have been public resistance and boycott threats from doctors over the disposal of hazardous medical waste. How did a simple, manageable environmental issue evolve into such a complicated affair? Based on my knowledge of microbiology and on the experience of my friends in medical circles, I can only describe the difficulties as the result of incompetence.
Apart from nuclear waste generated during radiation therapy, hazardous medical waste also includes materials contaminated with pathogens.
Such waste becomes the safest of refuse once decontaminated under high temperatures. Most medical institutions are capable of such proper treatment. The Tainan Municipal Hospital and dentists' associations in Tainan City and County adopted these measures and won approval from the local authorities. No problems arose from such disposal.
Unfortunately, the market for medical waste treatment has long been coveted by elements symbiotic with "black-gold" politics. For example, they have said that flammable and non-flammable wastes need not be separated, causing overload and equipment breakdowns at incinerators. They have also forced medical institutions to sign contracts with waste treatment companies. Even more revolting is the fact that executives from an association have echoed the fear-mongering of some interest groups, forcing medical institutions to sign contracts with waste treatment companies.
Many have advocated that Taiwan follow Japan's medical waste treatment regulations. They also allow medical institutions to decontaminate their own waste through high-pressure and high-temperature treatment on their own premises and dispose of it like normal waste.
I am sure most professionals in this field believe it will be safer to allow medical institutions to treat their own waste before shipping it, thus reducing the risk of infection. I hope this safe and professionally sound method will be put into practice soon.
Chien Lin Whei-jun is an associate professor of microbiology at Chia Nan College of Pharmacy and Science.
Translated by Francis Huang.
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