ABSTRACT
Plastics can be described as high molecular mass polymers comprising mostly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. The use of plastics has revolutionised the field of medicine and healthcare. Plastics are used in every phase of human healthcare – preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, prosthetic and palliative. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharper focus the critical role that plastics play in protecting patients, healthcare workers and citizens from infection, and saving millions of lives. Yet, paradoxically, the same material has been at the receiving end of civil society’s wrath for contributing to environmental as well as public health hazards. This chapter will explore the science-based evidence defining this paradox and seek a sustainable solution where we can exploit the beneficial use of plastic in healthcare while minimising its adverse impact on health and the environment.
