Healthcare workers champion green alternative to multibillion-dollar industry
Healthcare workers in New South Wales are protesting a ban on remanufactured medical supplies, which they argue are eco-friendly and cost-effective. The Clinical Excellence Commission claims the ban is necessary for infection control, but critics argue the decision lacks evidence and favors large manufacturers of single-use products.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the tension between sustainability initiatives in healthcare and established safety regulations, as well as the influence of large medical supply corporations.
Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Share A A A Healthcare workers are demanding answers after NSW’s patient safety agency banned hospitals from using eco-friendly medical supplies in favour of single-use products that end up in landfill and cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
Clinicians have accused the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) of siding with a multibillion-dollar manufacturer of disposable medical devices that would lose money if the sustainable products were widely adopted.
Medsalv founder Oliver Hunt with a remanufactured tourniquet. Kate Geraghty The stoush revolves around remanufactured materials, which are formerly single-use items that are reprocessed into new products approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and used daily in every other state and territory. These materials include patient transfer mattresses, compression sleeves, tourniquets and blood pressure cuffs.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in