Medical waste management: A social responsibility quandary in India

Medical waste management is of vital importance due to the associated health risks and environmental hazards. In the last decade, the Indian healthcare sector has undergone exponential growth resulting in higher generation of medical waste comprising of several hazardous and toxic elements like infectious and radio-active materials and sharps. These wastes can be tantamount to a grave risk, if not disposedoff properly. Continuous efforts are been made by waste generators and environmental regulatory agencies to better manage the waste from healthcare facilities. The issue of medical waste management is probably ignored and may yet not be a priority; however, there is an urgent need to recognize that proper disposition of medical waste ought to be central when framing policies about ethical responsibilities of these healthcare providers. This paper explores the efficacy of employing the concepts of corporate social responsibility and environmental citizenship in management of medical waste and reviews the problems faced by the society due to malpractices in medical waste disposal. The study also provides a comprehensive review of the current management practices of medical waste minimisation in India and aims at identifying the challenges and recommends some viable strategies for managing this problem.