Framework for PESTEL dimensions of sustainable healthcare waste management: Learnings from COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the world economy at an unprecedented position and protecting society from the infection is at the core of all measures. As the COVID-19 virus stays longer on plastic and stainless steel materials, hence the healthcare wastes (HCW), coming out of the treatment of COVID-19 infected patients can be one of the potential route for transmission of infection. Therefore, the present study analyses the dimensions of sustainable HCWM by using a multi-method approach: PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis, TISM (total interpretive structural modeling) and fuzzy- MICMAC (cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis. The opted research framework yields 17 PESTEL dimensions of sustainable HCWM during the COVID-19 outbreak through the literature survey and experts' discussions. Then, the TISM methodology developed a hierarchical digraph of all the 17 dimensions of sustainable HCWM based on the interrelationships. Fuzzy-MICMAC analysis classified all 17 PESTEL dimensions into four groups depending upon their driving and dependence powers. The study concluded that the policy framework for targeting political, legal and environmental issues should be the immediate concern of the worldwide governments and health officials. The effluent control and compliance to environmental laws being the output dimensions should be tracked regularly for ensuring the cleaner production in healthcare services. The PESTEL analysis will help the hospitals' managers and policymakers to understand the macro-environment surrounding the HCWM.