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Health Care Waste Management in Africa Today. Automated Medical Waste Tracking. How to effectively utilize technology to manage waste: - From source to destruction. Bad Press Reports. 27 Feb 2001: Extract from Business Day
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Health Care Waste Management in Africa Today Automated Medical Waste Tracking How to effectively utilize technology to manage waste: - From source to destruction
Bad Press Reports • 27 Feb 2001: Extract from Business Day • “...little control over how medical waste is stored, handled or disposed of…”Mr Khanyile – Provincial Environmental Health Director • “…province had been plagued by several incidents of illegal dumping of medical waste…”- Mr Eddie Hanekom – Dept of Health, Western Cape
Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations • Final Draft published on 10 June 2003: “Tracking Documents, Reporting, Record Keeping and Audit Reports……” http://www.csir.co.za/ciwm/legislation.html Regulations Applicable to: • Waste Generators • Risk Waste Transporters • Risk Waste Transfer Stations • Waste Treatment Facilities • Additionally……….
Gauteng Waste Information Regulations • Draft Version – 6 May 2003: http://www.csir.co.za/ciwm/legislation.html “There must be a provision for: • The establishment of a Waste Information System • Reporting formats and intervals • Registering of relevant persons • Access to waste reporting to the public • Penalties to be enforced” • How can technology be applied?
Technologies available today • GSM/GPRS (Cellular Communications) • GPS (Global Positioning System) • RFID (Radio Frequency ID) • Bluetooth (Short Range Radio) • Wi-Fi (RF Ethernet) Strength lies in the combination of these technologies….
RFID -Tagging of Medical Waste Containers Replacement technology for barcoding Unlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read: • Through walls and ceilings (no line of sight is required). • In any orientation to the reader/antenna (although this could be important over long distances) • While moving (i.e. while being deposited through a return chute) • Several at a time (for instance, in the back of a medical waste vehicle) • From distances of several meters to the antenna
Pikitup and NetcareTagging of Bins Example:
RFID Readers Readers Placed strategically: • On Weigh Scale • Inside Vehicle • At Incinerator • At Wash Bay
Process of Identification • Individual Weighing of Containers • Loading of containers into vehicle • Incineration of Waste • Decontamination of Containers Unfortunately identification does not solve the problem: The Location is imperative.....
Global Positioning System • 1st May 2000 - US DoD turned off “Selective Availability” of GPS satellites • Accuracies of close to 1 meter now possible with “differential GPS” • Typical example is “Digital Angel”
GPS & Mapping • Example of Tracking of Medical Waste Vehicle • Example of a trip “Play-back”
Web-Based Reporting All interested parties have access to real-time information: • The Waste Generator • The Waste Removal Service Provider • The Authorities • The Public Example……
Summary Monitoring from “the cradle to the grave” Made possible by eBox Technology