Limitations and Barriers In Health Care Waste Management

Sri Lanka's forests are amongst the most beautiful rich in Asia and for some faunal groups, it has the highest density of species diversity in the world. In the health sector, environmental issues creating adverse impacts vary widely in nature. Of them Health Care Waste Management (HCWM) is considered to be one of the significant issues, although some other important issues like food safety, occupational health and safety, management of industrial carcinogens, indoor air pollution etc also deserve due attention. Over the program period, support will be provided to expand/improve the services of health care facilities throughout the country. This is likely to generate more HCW which in the absence of safe management and disposal practices can greatly increase the risks to people and the environment through exposure of infectious and hazardous substances contained in it. Apart from health care waste, other environmental impacts directly caused by program implementation are likely to be triggered by the construction of Health Care Facilities (HCFs) which is likely to be relatively small scale, spread in different locations of the country and most likely confined to existing premises.