Challenges

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to a surge in medical waste production in Iran. That led the Government to request assistance from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to develop an emergency project to provide medical waste treatment equipment and training.

The project aims to ensure the safe and environmentally sound management of disposal of medical waste in hospitals in Iran and prevent the spread of COVID-19, in line with SDG 9 and SDG 3. The specific goal of the project is to improve medical waste disposal capabilities through providing two sets of medical waste disposal equipment for the designated hospitals. At the same time, the project will improve the medical waste management capabilities of sta in hospitals and government agency through training during the epidemic and in the future.

Toward a Solution

The project procured two sets of medical waste disposal equipment: MWI-500 Integrated Autoclave with Shredder. The capacity of the MWI-500 is 1.9-2.4 tons/day, based on 16 hours operation, with an emergency capacity of 2.9-3.6 tons/day based on 24 hours operation. It is an ideal solution for medical waste treatment in small and medium size hospitals with 500-1000 beds. The equipment adopts built-in dual-shift crusher technology. The medical waste is firstly crushed, and then disinfected in the autoclave. The entire medical waste disposal process is automatic and in a fully enclosed container, thereby the whole process is safe and efficient. The working environment is also safe. The operator is not in contact with the medical waste during the process. The disposal temperature reaches 134 °C and the bacterial killing rate is more than 99.9999%. The equipment fully meets the requirements of medical waste management in Iran. After disinfection, the waste can be sent to landfill for final disposal. The selected autoclave technology is one the most cost-eective and environmentally-friendly solutions to treat medical waste. Unlike incinerators, where the pollution caused by incineration (dioxin, furan and other harmful substances) is hardly controlled in a cost-effective manner, the selected autoclave with shredder system is not only safe for humans and for the environment, but has also a long service life with low maintenance cost. The medical waste is shredded into small pieces before or after sterilization.

UNIDO is the implementing agency of the project, with the responsibility of designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the project. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran (MOHME) is the executing agency, engaging all Iranian national stakeholders in implementation of the project. The Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO), affiliated to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China serves as technical supporting agency. Chongqing Gient Heating Industry Co., Ltd. (Gient) is manufacturer and supplier of the medical waste treatment equipment.

In April 2021, UNIDO and FECO signed project agreements, covering procurement of two sets of medical waste treatment equipment, 10-year equipment maintenance service in combined, and training materials and training sessions preparation. UNIDO, FECO and HOHME jointly selected Gient as the equipment supplier and maintenance service provider. With assistance of UNIDO, FECO and Iranian government, Gient delivered, installed, tested and commissioned the two sets of equipment at Imam Khomeini Hospital and Firouzgar Hospital respectively. UNIDO and FECO compiled materials for medical waste disposal and management training courses and organized online and in-person training sessions. FECO also shared the medical waste treatment experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Gient contracted and partnered with a local agent to provide continuous after-sales service and maintenance to the equipment. The equipment has been operated in full capacity in the two hospitals in Iran since September 2021, and is capable of handling 4 tons of medical waste per day during the pandemic. The project is regarded as an exemplary project of SSCAF. UNIDO published commemorating and publicity posters and videos to demonstrate the achievement of the project. This project embodies international cooperation and assistance by UNIDO and CIDCA, friendship between China and Iran, and plays a significant role in combating against the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

The project is sustainable and replicable for the following reasons: Environmental and social impact assessment has been undertaken at the project approval stage to identify risks and ensure the project’s compliance with the Environmental and Social Safeguards Policy and Procedures (ESSPP). The selected autoclave technology is cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, and safe for humans. The equipment fully meets the requirements of medical waste management in Iran, and the waste can be sent to a landfill for final disposal. The project provides training to staff on best practices in medical waste treatment, in particular for staff handling medical waste in hospitals. This will improve the medical waste management capabilities of staff in hospitals and government agencies in the long term, making the project replicable. The project involves collaboration between UNIDO, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) of Iran, and recipient hospitals (Imam Khomeinin Hospital and Firoozgar Hospital). This collaboration ensures that the project is aligned with the country’s priorities to fight the COVID-19 outbreak and supports the country’s health system.