Identifying and evaluating barriers for healthcare waste management: an integrated approach

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) identified healthcare waste as highly infectious and threatening the environment and human health. India’s current healthcare waste management system has certain limitations, which lead to ineffective waste handling practices. So, proper healthcare waste treatment is becoming mandatory for the environment and safety. Healthcare waste management (HCWM) requires efficient collection and segregation of waste for proper disposal. The paper approaches the healthcare sector’s issues and challenges in treating and managing healthcare waste. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) was used to find the design requirements, which were transferred to QFD for prioritising. Results from ISM and QFD indicated that government support and policies, awareness, training and workshops, high priority to waste management issues, and support of top authorities have significant implications on people and society. This analysis will provide a result that will help the stakeholders implement healthcare waste management. Copyright © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.