Management of waste resulting from medical activities national scientific conference

More than 200 specialists in various medical fields - epidemiologists, family doctors, public health specialists, students and resident doctors participated in the national scientific conference „Management of waste resulting from medical activities”, where the outcome of the research project Study on the management of waste resulting from medical activities in the Republic of Moldova was presented.

During the conference, which took place on April 1, 2023, topics were discussed regarding: the normative regulatory framework on the management of medical waste in the Republic of Moldova; recycling methods, current medical waste management practices in relevant public and private institutions, conditions for collection, storage, transportation, and treatment of medical waste, etc.

Among the guests of the event were Mariana Gincu, senior consultant at the Public Health Policy Department of the Ministry of Health; Mihail Todiras, head of the Health and Biomedicine Research Center, Serghei Cebanu, head of the Preventive Medicine Department, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Nicolae Furtuna, head of department at the National Public Health Agency.

Specialists emphasized the fact that the waste generated during diagnostic, surveillance, treatment, and medical recovery activities, including from medical research and the production, testing, storage, and distribution of medicines, but also from biological products, represents an imminent risk to human health and the environment. When it is not managed in a community spirit and is disposed of together with household waste, it greatly increases the risk of transmission of contagious diseases.

Vasile Sofronie, Associate Professor at the Epidemiology Discipline, coordinator-supervisor of the research project Study on the management of waste resulting from medical activities in the Republic of Moldova, reported on the possible risks in the practice of managing waste resulting from medical activity and pointed out some recommendations regarding the improvement of this process in the Republic of Moldova.

At the same time, during the event, several specialists from the territory shared their own experience and practices in the management of waste resulting from medical activity.

The conference also included the presentation of the results of a study relating to the project. Luminita Gutu, project manager, Associate Professor at the Epidemiology Discipline, presented the purpose and objectives of the study, the implementation stages, and the components of the final report that is being edited now.

The event was organized in a mixed format by the Epidemiology and Hygiene disciplines within the Department of Preventive Medicine of Nicolae Testemitanu University in partnership with the National Public Health Agency, the Association of Biosafety and Biosecurity of the Republic of Moldova and the Society of Hygienists from Republic of Moldova, under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and with the financial support of the Soros Foundation Moldova.

The research project Study on the management of waste resulting from medical activities in the Republic of Moldova was implemented between November 1, 2021, and October 30, 2022.