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Health Care Waste Management in Africa TodayHealth Care Waste Management in Africa Today

Automated Medical Waste Automated Medical Waste TrackingTracking

How to effectively utilize technology to manage How to effectively utilize technology to manage waste: - From source to destructionwaste: - From source to destruction

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Bad Press ReportsBad Press Reports

• 27 Feb 2001: Extract from 27 Feb 2001: Extract from Business DayBusiness Day

• ““...little control over how medical ...little control over how medical waste is stored, handled or waste is stored, handled or disposed of…”disposed of…” Mr Khanyile – Mr Khanyile – Provincial Environmental Health DirectorProvincial Environmental Health Director

• “…“…province had been plagued by province had been plagued by several incidents of illegal dumping several incidents of illegal dumping of medical waste…”-of medical waste…”- Mr Eddie Hanekom Mr Eddie Hanekom – Dept of Health, Western Cape– Dept of Health, Western Cape

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Gauteng Health Care Waste Gauteng Health Care Waste Management RegulationsManagement Regulations

• Final Draft published on 10 June Final Draft published on 10 June 2003:2003:

““Tracking Documents, Reporting, Record Tracking Documents, Reporting, Record Keeping and Audit Reports……”Keeping and Audit Reports……”

http://www.http://www.csircsir.co..co.zaza//ciwmciwm/legislation.html/legislation.html

Regulations Applicable to:Regulations Applicable to:• Waste GeneratorsWaste Generators• Risk Waste TransportersRisk Waste Transporters• Risk Waste Transfer StationsRisk Waste Transfer Stations• Waste Treatment FacilitiesWaste Treatment Facilities

• Additionally……….Additionally……….

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Gauteng Waste Information Gauteng Waste Information RegulationsRegulations

• Draft Version – 6 May 2003:Draft Version – 6 May 2003:

http://www.csir.co.za/ciwm/legislation.htmlhttp://www.csir.co.za/ciwm/legislation.html ““There must be a provision for:There must be a provision for:• The establishment of a Waste Information SystemThe establishment of a Waste Information System• Reporting formats and intervalsReporting formats and intervals• Registering of relevant personsRegistering of relevant persons• Access to waste reporting to the publicAccess to waste reporting to the public

• Penalties to be enforced”Penalties to be enforced”

• How can technology be applied?How can technology be applied?

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Technologies available todayTechnologies available today

• GSM/GPRS (Cellular GSM/GPRS (Cellular Communications)Communications)

• GPS (Global Positioning System)GPS (Global Positioning System)• RFID (Radio Frequency ID)RFID (Radio Frequency ID)• Bluetooth (Short Range Radio)Bluetooth (Short Range Radio)• Wi-Fi (RF Ethernet)Wi-Fi (RF Ethernet)

Strength lies in the Strength lies in the combinationcombination of of these technologies….these technologies….

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RFID -Tagging of Medical Waste RFID -Tagging of Medical Waste ContainersContainers

Replacement technology for barcodingReplacement technology for barcodingUnlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read:Unlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read:• Through walls and ceilings (no line of sight is required). Through walls and ceilings (no line of sight is required). • IIn any orientation to the reader/antenna (although this could n any orientation to the reader/antenna (although this could

be important over long distances)be important over long distances) • WWhile moving (i.e. while being deposited through a return hile moving (i.e. while being deposited through a return

chute) chute) • SSeveral at a time (for instance, in the back of a medical waste everal at a time (for instance, in the back of a medical waste

vehicle)vehicle)• FFrom distances of several meters to the antennarom distances of several meters to the antenna

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Pikitup and NetcarePikitup and NetcareTagging of BinsTagging of Bins

Example:Example:

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RFID ReadersRFID Readers

Readers Placed strategically:Readers Placed strategically:• On Weigh ScaleOn Weigh Scale• Inside VehicleInside Vehicle• At IncineratorAt Incinerator• At Wash BayAt Wash Bay

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Process of IdentificationProcess of Identification

• Individual Weighing of ContainersIndividual Weighing of Containers• Loading of containers into vehicleLoading of containers into vehicle• Incineration of WasteIncineration of Waste• Decontamination of ContainersDecontamination of Containers

Unfortunately Unfortunately identificationidentification does not solve does not solve the problem: The the problem: The LocationLocation is is imperative.....imperative.....

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Global Positioning SystemGlobal Positioning System

• 1st May 2000 - US DoD turned off 1st May 2000 - US DoD turned off “Selective Availability” of GPS “Selective Availability” of GPS satellitessatellites

• Accuracies of close to 1 meter now Accuracies of close to 1 meter now possible with “differential GPS”possible with “differential GPS”

• Typical example is “Digital Angel”Typical example is “Digital Angel”

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Digital AngelDigital Angel

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GPS & MappingGPS & Mapping

• Example of Tracking of Medical Example of Tracking of Medical Waste VehicleWaste Vehicle

• Example of a trip “Play-back”Example of a trip “Play-back”

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Web-Based ReportingWeb-Based Reporting

All interested parties have access to All interested parties have access to real-time information:real-time information:

• The Waste GeneratorThe Waste Generator• The Waste Removal Service The Waste Removal Service

ProviderProvider• The AuthoritiesThe Authorities• The PublicThe Public

Example……Example……

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SummarySummary

Monitoring from Monitoring from “the cradle to the grave”“the cradle to the grave”

Made possible byMade possible by

eBoxeBox

TechnologyTechnology