The other day I visited an elderly man in hospital, one of those "friend of a friend" situations. Actually, he is the husband of a woman who attends our bible study, and their congregation is without a pastor. He has been in isolation for months and each time I go to see him I have to gown and glove. He is also deaf so we have a brief conversation and prayer. I really yell "amen" so he realizes I'm done! Here's the thing. I hate that all this gear is used for five minutes, then pitched. Hospitals have always had special challenges in disposing of their waste. Today just about everything used is disposable because of precautions that are even more stringent in this post-SARS, better-safe-than-sorry world we live in. Hospital administrations are trying to figure out how to keep people safe and restrict the spread of illness while reducing expensive waste.
So should I be judicious about the occasions when I visit? Its hard to imagine not going to see people because of a waste disposal problem, but it's not insignificant. Should hospitals figure out a better system?
I think I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to the 3 r's, so perhaps there is something the hospitals can do to reduce waste. I agree that these hospital visits are very important, and you don't want to limit your visits because of this issue. It would be nice if there was some way to use the material(after sterilizing of course) from these items to make other necessities.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the CBC radio program White Coat Black Art which is about medical issues(very good.) It sounds as though hospitals are becoming aware of the issues and starting to sort their waste, recognizing that some items are less hazardous than others. So you are on the right track Johnny.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I can't give up on these visits, despite my discomfort about the waste.