A SENIOR medical official from the Hospital Administration Society under the Myanmar Medical Association has warned nurses to be careful when handling used needles to prevent transmission of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Dr Ba Shwe, the president of the society’s Academic Committee, said nurses need to wear gloves when using needles and should dispose of them in safety boxes to prevent cross-infections.

“Nurses should not recap needles again after using them. It is very risky to do so,” he said, adding that accidental needle-sticking incidents can occur during surgery and in intensive care units, medical wards and emergency rooms.

He said that according to hospital waste classifications, needles are categorised as yellow for “infectious and sharp”.

Highly infectious waste is coded red, anatomical waste is green and general waste is black.

Dr Ba Shwe said it was important for hospital superintendents to supervise hospital waste management to prevent the transmission of disease from the hospital to the community.

Meanwhile, the society is planning to provide hospital administration training courses for doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and hospital workers from public hospitals in various townships in the coming months to upgrade the quality of healthcare.

Topics will include avoiding needle-stick injuries, total quality management, quality in healthcare, hospital waste management and patient safety.

Participating townships are expected to include Hinthada this month, Taungoo in September, Bago in October, Pyin Oo Lwin and Meiktila in November, Pyinmana in December and Mawlamyine and Hpa-an next January.

“Doctors and health staff from private hospitals and clinics will be invited to the courses,” said Dr Ba Shwe, who added that the society has offered a training course each month starting from March this year.