Browsing by Author "Mohamed, Nurul Hamizah"

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    Modernizing medical waste management: unleashing the power of Internet of Things (IoT)
    (MDPI, 2023-06-21) Mohamed, Nurul Hamizah; Khan, Samir; Jagtap, Sandeep
    The rapid technological advancements of modern times have brought about the need for an innovative and contemporary approach to medical waste management procedures. This arises from the inadequacy of conventional manual techniques in ensuring the safety of employees and the environment from infections. The increasing amount of waste produced each day can exacerbate the situation if no action is taken to address the current issue. This article presents a systematic review of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in medical waste management, utilizing the PRISMA approach. The adoption of the IoT in waste and medical waste monitoring is analyzed for its potential to enhance the overall waste monitoring procedure and contribute to achieving net-zero goals. Empirical evidence from studies conducted in the last five years has revealed the benefits of employing waste bin sensors as a digital surveillance tool for real-time waste status monitoring. While a few researchers have proposed the use of the IoT in medical waste monitoring, the application is currently limited to either monitoring storage facilities, waste transportation, or disposal processes, specifically. These limitations are discussed to understand the barriers that hinder further development. Among the selected analyzed studies are published articles and conference papers that offer solutions for addressing waste management issues and facilitating further development. This paper also aims to identify IoT technologies for monitoring waste and medical waste management. The digitalization of medical waste can ensure that the entire monitoring procedure is conducted directly and in real time. The collected data can be easily shared, and the condition of the waste can be updated periodically.
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    Towards digitalization of Malaysian medical facilities waste management
    (Cranfield University, 2022-11-08) Mohamed, Nurul Hamizah; Khan, Samir; Jagtap, Sandeep
    Medical waste is produced in huge quantities daily, and the increasing amount of it is a worldwide issue that makes managing medical waste more and more crucial. Leakage or improper use of medical waste can be harmful, risking the environment and human lives. The pandemic COVID-19 has challenged current practices with the increasing number of waste and the possibility of transferring the virus from one person to another. In Malaysia, waste management predominantly remains a manual endeavor. where data is usually keyed in either by waste generators, transport contractors, or process occupiers. Digitalization of this setup can be a way to manage waste management effectively as it could be tracked and monitored in real-time. This paper discusses the applicability of exponential technologies, such as Internet of Things and Blockchain, to communicate real-time data to all stakeholders. It presents a framework that can be used to improve the overall waste management process by improving tracking and tractability of waste. Such technology is expected to have an impact across the whole waste management cycle including segregation, storage, transport, and disposal process, and at the same time, help with documentation and administration arrangement.
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    Waste 4.0: transforming medical waste management through digitalization and automated segregation
    (Springer, 2024) Mohamed, Nurul Hamizah; Khan, Samir; Jagtap, Sandeep
    Medical waste management is a crucial issue due to its potential health risks to humans and harm to the environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises separating medical waste into seven groups based on its type. However, despite the implementation of color-coded bin bags, cases of missegregation still occur frequently, leading to injuries and spreading diseases. Infectious waste such as sharps, human tissue, and body parts are often found mixed in waste bins, posing a severe threat to waste employees. To address this issue, this paper proposes exploring the potential of digitalization in waste segregation. The literature on current segregation methods and technology applications is analysed and compared, and a framework for utilizing barcode tagging and scanning to ensure waste is correctly categorized is presented. The barcodes and scanner will be connected through a monitoring system, which can notify waste generators and collectors of misplacing or mixed waste. This digitalization system is expected to serve as a monitoring agent for segregating waste before it is collected from any health facilities. Additionally, the exchanged data from waste generator bins can inform collectors and other waste stakeholders about the waste's condition, potentially opening up opportunities for recycling companies to purchase used plastics or metals from hospital wastes. By implementing digitalization in medical waste management, waste segregation can improve, reduce the spread of diseases and injuries, and promote the recycling of hospital waste materials.