O tratamento e o destino final dos resíduos sólidos dos serviços de saúde no município de Belo Horizonte: um estudo em torno do gerenciamento desses resíduos em duas unidades hospitalares

Abstract

This research concerns Solid Waste of Health Services in Belo Horizonte. It aims to verify how it hass being done to the management, treatment and final destination of Solid Waste of Health Services (RSS) in two hospitals. We used field research. The objective was to further verify the Solid Waste Management of Health Services (RSS) developed by the government of Belo Horizonte, considering an Integrated Management. The chances were limited to the following guiding questions: the RSS considered infectious deserve treatment and disposal to ensure the total destruction of their pathogenic characteristics, preventing damage to health and the environment, incineration, despite high investments required for its installation and maintenance represents an alternative method of treatment for RSS capable of the extermination of pathogens and substantially reduce the volume of waste to get the final destination. The main theoretical analysis were: the RSS front on environmental issues and understanding of production to the final destination of such waste. We adopted the quantitative approach, using the technique of structured interviews, through a form, driven by a single researcher. The sample was composed of only 02 basic health units. In every basic health unit visited, we interviewed a clerk for a nursing assistant general services, but there was division because many believe that information, especially in the private system have been hidden. We evaluated all three stages of certain aspects of current law. Of technical and operational aspects were evaluated: classification and characterization of the waste minimization (reduce, reuse, recycling, or replacement of a given residue with a less hazardous), segregation (separation of waste at the time of their generation according to their physical characteristics, chemical, biological and radiological), pretreatment, storage, collection and internal and external transport and the existence of external shelter. General and organizational aspects were studied: control, and presence of technical manager. The survey was conducted through observations and interviews about the management and the fate of the collection process within the RSS hospitals in Belo Horizonte. When confronting the theoretical with the empirical data it was concluded that the management of RSS is decisive not only for the enforcement of legislation, and for better implementation of logistics, in addition to the awareness of the hospitals on the serious problems brought by RSS and its human and environmental consequences.