About 33% of the biomedical waste generated in my country (India) in May 2021 is due to the single-use plastic in the form of surgical masks, face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and other personal protective items which are being used on a massive scale in these times. This has been negatively impacting the environment. Dumps of these equipments can be found on roadways, behind hospitals, on beaches, in parking lots, in landfills, etc. What are some scalable solutions that can be implemented (both on a small and large scale) to help fix this issue?
EDIT: 'generated in my country now' to 'generated in May 2021'
Are any potential employers going to value my degree in biomed (top of class), and how can I make use of it in the software development world?
Also, should I be learning python first as this is the language for scientific data analysis or will my degree not really be an advantage when looking for a job in this field?
I originally wanted to be a physical therapist, so I got my BS in kinesiology but then dropped out of my DPT program for a few different reasons (time, money, etc). I mainly left because I thought it would be more enjoyable to work in the design and development of prosthetics or artificial implants. I found a local, respected university that offered biomedical engineering and biotechnology degrees. I sent an email to the director to get some more information about the department as a whole and they told me that many students have come through one of their programs and gone on to have successful careers that interested me.
I signed up for their certificate program (basically just 4 introductory courses) to get a feel for it and to see if it was something I wanted to pursue. I really enjoyed the classes and decided that I wanted to get my masters. Fast forward to now, I'm in my last semester about to finish my MS degree in biomedical engineering and biotechnology and starting to look for jobs.
I looked through this subreddit and feel a little discouraged. It seems like there's a lot of posts about BMEs not being able to find jobs, wishing they had different degrees, or having to go back to school to get where they want to be in their careers.
Did I just waste my time and money getting my masters? Or is there hope that I can land a very basic, entry level position and work my way up the ladder? I'm in Boston, so I assumed there would be plenty of opportunities for me. Any help/guidance/tips would be greatly appreciated.
Biomedical waste (BMW) refers to the waste generated during diagnosis, treatment and immunization of people or animals in healthcare institutions. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in hazardous biomedical waste, adding to the already-heaping pile. The BMW generation has increased manifold owing to the usage of masks, gloves, PPE kits, sample kits, urine bags, and syringes. And untreated and improperly managed BMW is a potential source of infection. In addition, the untreated or rudimentary handling of BMW creates a nuisance and decreases patient satisfaction. Thus, this unscheduled rise in biomedical waste in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated its proper management and disposal mechanism to avoid hazardous impact on the environment and people.
India’s pollution watchdog, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has advised sanitation workers and healthcare centers to take extra precautions and deal with BMW by following various guidelines. It stressed that diligent handling and management of BMW could, in fact, prevent the occurrence of hospital-acquired infection and also lower the rates of disease transmission. The CPCB amended the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and directed each healthcare facility to establish a bar code machine to track waste being sent out of their premises and disposed of via Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF). This system works as a critical tool to trail the waste from its source to disposal. The specifications had been referred to by using the CPCB to use barcode labels on colour coded packing containers for handling biomedical waste.
Perspectives from Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board issued a draft model for the management of biomedical waste at Village Panchayats and subdivisions. The plan states that, as per Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, biomedical waste is categorized into four colour categories: yellow, red, white and blue – based on disposal pathway. As per these rules, the requirement of segregation prior to disposal is a must.
It was simply cited that the segregation, collection, pre-treatment and storage are the important responsibilities of the biomedical waste generators like hospitals, clinics, quarantine centers, isolation wards etc. So, for the safe disposal of waste Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Institution-Gram Panchayats, Gram Sewaks, Block/Tehsil level Offices, in conjunction with Zila Parish
... keep reading on reddit ➡About 33% of the biomedical waste generated in my country now is due to the single-use plastic in the form of surgical masks, face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and other personal protective items which are being used on a massive scale in these times. This has been negatively impacting the environment. Dumps of these equipments can be found on roadways, behind hospitals, on beaches, in parking lots, in landfills, etc. What are some scalable solutions that can be implemented (both on a small and large scale) to help fix this issue?
About 33% of the biomedical waste generated in my country now is due to the single-use plastic in the form of surgical masks, face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and other personal protective items which are being used on a massive scale in these times. This has been negatively impacting the environment. Dumps of these equipments can be found on roadways, behind hospitals, on beaches, in parking lots, in landfills, etc. What are some scalable solutions that can be implemented (both on a small and large scale) to help fix this issue?
