One hundred of Feldsher-Midwife Stations (FMS) got equipment worth 118 718 thousands of US dollars for safe medical wastes disposal.
FMS are equipped by the Decree No 285 of the Health Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic dated 26.04.16 to launch safe medical wastes autoclaving disposal system.
The head of the Republican Scientific Center for Infection Control of Scientific Union “Preventive Medicine” under the Health Ministry of KR, Aleksey Kravtsov, says the autoclaving disposal system is significantly safe than the previous one when medical wastes were burnt. “First, autoclaving decreases risk of contaminations among the medical staff. Secondly, this is eco-friendly disposal in contrast to open incineration of medical wastes,” he says. “Previously medical wastes were openly burnt close to Feldsher-Midwife Stations; now they are decontaminated with use of sterilization indicators in autoclaves under 130°С and became totally safe.”
Decontaminated medical wastes will be buried at landfills; there is an agreement with local self-governing authorities hosting FMS. Decontaminated part of plastic syringes will be recycled and emissions of dioxins and furanes into the atmosphere will decrease.
The medical wastes disposal set includes autoclave, a table for autoclave, wastes containers, wastes packages, hub cutters, sterilization indicators, metal barrels for needle encapsulation.
FMS staff underwent trainings on medical waste disposal with use of autoclaving held in Family Medicine Centers of Chui and Issyk-Kul oblasts. The Health Ministry prepared rules and regulations on standard operating procedure for FMS to manage medical waste disposal, on autoclaving and emergency response.
Now FMS staff treat medical wastes in environment friendly manner safe for themselves and the nearby population.
The Health Ministry of KR equipped FMS under support of UNDP-GEF Project “ in order to introduce the best accessible technologies and environmentally friendly practices in medical waste management in Kyrgyzstan public health organizations to reduce casual emissions of POPs into the air.
Medical waste is all types of waste, including anatomical, patho-anatomical, biochemical, microbiological and physiological, emerged during medical and pharmaceutical activities, and during production of medicines and medical products, as well as activities using agents of infections and genetically engineered organisms for medical purposes.
Medical waste management means all activities related to the collection, separation, storage, disinfection and/or neutralization, transportation and disposal of medical waste.