Healthcare waste management and application through big data analytics

Abstract

Healthcare is one most rapidly growing and largest sector in India. Healthcare comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, telemedicine, health insurance and medical equipment. Such a large industry generates huge amount of waste such as syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades, used cotton and bandages, plastic and glass bottles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other infectious waste. Waste is not managed properly due to lack of awareness about the health hazards related to health-care waste, inadequate training in proper waste management, absence of waste management and disposal systems, insufficient financial and human resources, and low priority to the task connected with the health-care wastes. This paper highlights the use of Big Data Analytics to provide application of healthcare waste in agriculture and disaster management sector. The predictions show that if planning is adequate then waste of one sector can be fully utilized in another sector with low cost.