Laboratory acquired infections: experts for adopting biosafety measures

Experts at a bio-safety workshop called for adopting international safety standards and precautionary measures at public and private health laboratories to prevent pathologists and technicians from laboratory acquired infections so that both the lab professionals and community could be saved from the biological, chemical and radiological hazards.
They further called for proper disposal of infectious and hazardous waste generated at the laboratories on daily basis so that it could not cause any biological and chemical hazards for the people adding that various techniques including autoclaving, chemical treatment for disinfecting the waste and proper burial of the biological waste could be used in this regard.
They expressed these views at workshop titled 'laboratory acquired infections and biological waste management', organized by Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in collaboration with Health Security Partners, USA here at a hotel.
"Laboratory professionals and workers should be aware of international safety standards and protocols to prevent themselves and the community from the laboratory acquired infections and other hazards. Pakistan has to do a lot to train its professionals and workers in the area of laboratory acquired infections", said Professor Shamsul Arfin Qasmi, lead trainer of the workshop while making his presentation on bio-safety measures at laboratories.
Canadian-trained Dr Shamsul Arfin deplored that most of hospitals and laboratories don't have 'high-efficiency' incinerators installed at their premises to dispose of the infectious waste and generate electricity by using the overall waste generated at the healthcare facilities on daily basis.
"Instead of preventing community from hazards, the existing incinerators are in fact causing more environmental pollution", Dr Qasmi said. He urged the laboratory technicians and professionals to use the modern technologies including Bio-safety Cabinets (BSCs) of modern class to prevent themselves from the laboratory acquired infections.
Principal KIMS Dr Aneel Aslam lauded the organizers for holding the first ever scientific workshop on laboratory acquired infections and hoped that knowledge acquired by the laboratory professionals would not only be used by them to protect themselves but they would also pass it on to their colleagues so that they could also work in safe and sound environments.
Other speakers, including Samreen Sarwar spoke on introduction to biological waste management, types and segregation, Dr Adnan from KIMS on spills management in laboratories, Dr Faisal Hanif on Laboratory acquired infections, Dr Shahida Qureshi from AKU on response to laboratory incidents.-PR