Waste not
May 17th 2008 03:23
My wife and I had occasion to visit the Accident and Emergency Department of our local hospital yesterday (again! this is the fourth time in three years). My wife had a serious pain in her chest, similar to something she’s had before. Usually it’s turned up when she’s been doing something strenuous; yesterday it came out of the blue.
Anyway, after the usual several hours hanging around at A&E she was sent home. The problem wasn’t cardiac, which was good, but probably gastric, which is okay, but not wondrous.
In the usual long stages of hanging around watching doctors and nurses doing their stuff I was struck by the enormous wastage that goes on in a hospital.
The cover for the needle for taking blood is thrown away. Various swabbing bits are thrown away. The needle is thrown away as soon as it’s deposited its contents in three little phials (which will be thrown away, along with the blood, in due course).
The little stickery things that go all over the body to do the ECG are thrown away. More stickery
things with little metal knobs on are then attached to the body and, at the end of the visit, they’re thrown away (apart from the ones that manage to make their way home – there’s always one).
The canula and butterfly are thrown away. (These are the things that are inserted into the skin in order that blood samples can be taken easily, and other liquids pushed into the body.)
Innumerable plastic bits, bags, containers, holders and such are all thrown away. The gloves used while examining the patient are thrown away.
That’s only the beginning, I’m sure. While I was there, at least two people cleared away the rubbish bags, which were full (and these weren’t the bags that contained all the stuff I’ve just mentioned).
Where does it all go? Not to the ordinary rubbish dump, because of concerns about infections and such. Removal companies that specialise in clinical cast-offs deal with it.
We concern ourselves about nuclear waste. To me the wastage from the average hospital on the average day must be infinitely greater.
Photo by Stephen Witherden
Anyway, after the usual several hours hanging around at A&E she was sent home. The problem wasn’t cardiac, which was good, but probably gastric, which is okay, but not wondrous.
In the usual long stages of hanging around watching doctors and nurses doing their stuff I was struck by the enormous wastage that goes on in a hospital.
The cover for the needle for taking blood is thrown away. Various swabbing bits are thrown away. The needle is thrown away as soon as it’s deposited its contents in three little phials (which will be thrown away, along with the blood, in due course).
The little stickery things that go all over the body to do the ECG are thrown away. More stickery
The canula and butterfly are thrown away. (These are the things that are inserted into the skin in order that blood samples can be taken easily, and other liquids pushed into the body.)
Innumerable plastic bits, bags, containers, holders and such are all thrown away. The gloves used while examining the patient are thrown away.
That’s only the beginning, I’m sure. While I was there, at least two people cleared away the rubbish bags, which were full (and these weren’t the bags that contained all the stuff I’ve just mentioned).
Where does it all go? Not to the ordinary rubbish dump, because of concerns about infections and such. Removal companies that specialise in clinical cast-offs deal with it.
We concern ourselves about nuclear waste. To me the wastage from the average hospital on the average day must be infinitely greater.
Photo by Stephen Witherden
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