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Article-6:“Eco-friendly or pocket-friendly?” Striving for sustainability in a world of disposables

Abstract: 
The need for cost containment in hospitals has prompted the re-consideration of many aspects of medical care. Awareness about environmental responsibility in recent times has redesigned the way we approach the use of surgical gowns in operating rooms, with more hospitals switching back to reusable gowns. This study was conducted to estimate the amount of biomedical waste that would be generated if the Cath lab preferred disposable gowns to the traditionally used reusable gowns and to make decisions considering the economic viability of both the options in a teaching hospital setting. Data with respect to various costs incurred in the handling and disposal of single-use and reusable gowns and amount of biomedical waste generated was collected from respective contributing departments. Results reflected the additional environmental burden of disposable surgical linen in terms of medical waste generated and huge cost-savings that the reusable gowns are capable of. Thus, in an era where reusables are being replaced inevitably in the name of betterment of healthcare quality and seemingly “effortless” disposal of its counterpart, efforts must be made to re-consider if the trend to switch over is cost-effective and environmental-friendly in an already overburdened terra-firma to ensure that quality never compromises safety of patients and the general population.
 
Journal file
Article-6.pdf (154.94 KB)