In the event of an outbreak of Ebola or other pandemics, the increase in volume of highly contagious bio-medical waste could present some challenges for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Today the majority of healthcare facilities use haulers to transport and treat regulated medical waste off-site. There is no assurance, however, that this method is 100 percent safe for potential pandemic situations nor would this practice be perceived positively when communities realize that trucks are transporting such material near their homes, schools, or businesses.
In order to mitigate this potential risk, many healthcare providers are actively pursuing a failsafe on-site technology that can immediately sterilize and destroy all dangerous pathogens and viruses such as Ebola, TB, Polio and others while avoiding further risk to the general public.
"The traditional methods of hauling and disposing of medical waste off-site might present some major risks for hospitals and the general public," says Don Millard, CEO of Atlanta-based Red Bag Solutions, a provider of on-site bio-hazardous waste disposal equipment and services, "Red Bag Solutions' on-site Steam Sterilization and Maceration (SSM) system is designed to process all biological and medical waste on-site, including any material infected by Ebola, or any other bacterial or viral medical waste. The process renders waste unrecognizable and ensures that it is completely sterilized."
"We are very cognizant of the risks posed by Ebola or other highly infectious pathogens and the challenges of disposing of medical waste contaminated by them," says Danny Moore, director of estates and facilities at Bermuda Hospital Board, Bermuda. "As an island, we are far more vulnerable to a pandemic situation; however, by using Red Bag Solution's Steam Sterilization and Maceration process, we believe our institution is better prepared for a crisis of this sort."
Source: Red Bag Solutions