Water, sanitation, hygiene and biomedical waste disposal in the healthcare system: A review

Health is the foremost need and concern of any population. Healthcare settings are places to restore health. Healthcare settingsshould be designed and maintained in such a way that it should ensure the safety of patients and healthcare staff. Facilities for safe drinking water, proper sanitation, good hygiene,and proper disposal of hospital generated waste are some of the basic needs to deliver adequate and acceptable health service to the community. Maintenance of these essential facilities may differ depending upon the geography, resources,and existing beliefs and norms. The non-availability of supply and workforce may hinder the proper functioning of healthcare systems in the hospitals. Even though there are various policies and procedures to maintain the above in hospital, lacunas in its development and implementation in a hospital setting create the gaps in the desired outcome of the healthcare setting. Varioushealthcare settings formulate or follow different procedures to maintain water, sanitation, hygiene, and bio-medical waste management facilities. The variation in the selection,and adoption of several other policies and procedures may compromise the functioning of the healthcare system. Hence, The standard guidelines should be followed byhealthcare institutions wherever applicable. Keywords: Patient safety;hygiene; sanitation;biomedical waste disposal;healthcare standard.