The health services wastes management of a sample of brazilian hospitals

Abstract

This paper focuses the Health Services wastes management of 70 Brazilian hospitals. As the outcome of a distance course, in 2003, each hospital was required to describe its existing Health Services wastes system and its Plan for improvement.The project was administered by an association of two leading Brazilian educational entities, the Fundação Getulio Vargas and the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Data concerning collection, disposal and final treatment of infectious, hazardous, chemical, radioactive and common wastes were tabulated and analysed. Water supply, liquid effluents and gaseous emissions were also investigated..Their technical and economical aspects were appraised. The research indicates that the sampled hospitals are still in an incipient stage of wastes management. An extensive gap exists between the present situation and the legal and acceptable requirements they should comply with, both on health care and on environmental standpoints.

Keywords

• Gerenciamento
• Resíduos de saúde
• Administração hospitalar
• Hospital wastes disposal
• Hazardous wastes
• Environment