Integrated Environmental Assessment of Medical Waste Management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Khadija Al-Omran, Asma Abahussain and Ezzat Khan ()
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Khadija Al-Omran: Environment and Sustainable Development, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain
Asma Abahussain: Environment and Sustainable Development, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain
Ezzat Khan: Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Main Campus, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: As a global concern, medical waste (MW) links public health, environmental pollution, and resource sustainability. This study aims to assess the two issues related to medical waste in Bahrain: the increasing generation rate of MW and its management. The integrated Environmental Assessment (IEA) methodology was adopted, including the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, Responses) framework, analysis of existing policies, and the outlook. Consequently, data were collected from official health statistics in Bahrain, and related policies for the last two decades (2001 to 2021) were also collected, in addition to interviews with Bahrain medical waste (BMW) treatment company. The results show a vast increase in medical waste during COVID-19. Moreover, most of the existing policies address the impact of the BMW issues, but the policies are lacking in tackling the drivers and pressures; there is also a policy gap related to the generation rate. Accordingly, a set of policies was proposed to overcome the two medical waste issues. Moreover, to overcome issues associated with MW, the study recommended reforming regulations aiming to reduce and manage medical waste efficiently in order to focus more on drivers and pressure causing an elevation in MW issues in Bahrain.

Keywords: medical waste management; COVID-19; DPSIR; integrated environmental assessment; policy analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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