Additional costs for disposing of PPE waste at Mayo hospital revealed
The HSE West has outlined the current procedure for disposal of used Covid-19 PPE waste from hospitals and community residential care facilities from perspectives of infection control and environmental impact considerations.
A statement from the authority confirmed that PPE waste from all hospitals is disposed of as per HPSC guidelines and the Department of Health ‘Segregation, Packaging and Storage Guidelines for Healthcare Risk Waste’ 2010.
It outlined: “Clinical waste generated from Covid-19 suspected or confirmed cases including the contaminated PPE is treated as Category B, clinical waste, packaged in UN approved clinical waste packaging and collected in UN approved yellow wheelie bins.
“PPE that is currently worn by staff in non Covid areas as a precaution is disposed of in the regular household waste stream.
“To reduce the volume of PPE waste many hospitals have purchased reusable gowns which are washed at 60 degrees.
“In respect of Mayo University Hospital, collections of the waste from the hospital increased from two- weekly collections to three weekly collections when it was required.
"The additional costs of this due to Covid-19 are approximately €27,000 as at 31st August 2019.”
Ann Cosgrove, chief operations officer, Saolta University Health Care Group, said in relation to the additional expenditure incurred in clinical/bio-waste disposal when the period March to July 2020 versus March to July 2019, there is an increase in expenditure of 30% year-on-year in the area covered by Community Healthcare West amounting to €42,000.
The cost includes the disposal of all clinical waste across the CHO and not just in Residential Care facilities.
“Disposal of all such waste in all Community Healthcare West’s Residential Care Facilities with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 is treated as clinical/bio-waste and disposed of accordingly per the Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s Guidelines.
“In relation to the additional expenditure incurred in clinical/bio-waste disposal when the period March to July 2020 versus March to July 2019 there is an increase in expenditure of 30% Year-on-Year in the area covered by Community Healthcare West amounting to to €42,000.
"The cost includes the disposal of all clinical waste across the CHO and not just in Residential Care facilities,” she explained.