MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL WASTE: A CASE STUDY OF OLEH CENTRAL HOSPITAL AND OWEH CLINIC, OLEH
Abstract
The sustainable management of Healthcare Waste (HCW) has continued to generate increasing public interest due to the health problems associated with exposure of human beings to potentially hazardous wastes arising from healthcare. This project focused on the determination of the quantity of wastes generated in two hospitals in Oleh town, examining the methods of waste collection and disposal in the hospitals and identification of dumpsites in the hospital. The study utilized a set of questionnaire to capture the hospital waste disposal including collection, storage and disposal. The questionnaire was administered to the waste handlers in each of the hospitals. The study established the total quantities of the hospital wastes generated at Oleh Central Hospital and Oweh Clinic, Oleh as 577kg and 46kg per day respectively; which translates to 1.154kg and 0.92kg per day per bed at Oleh Central Hospital and Oweh Clinic respectively. The study revealed availability of operational staff specifically responsible for medical waste management and personal protective equipment for use by medical waste handlers in both Oleh Central Hospital and Oweh Clinic. The study further revealed availability of storage containers, dumpsites and separation of collection of sharps or infectious materials at both Oleh Central Hospital and Oweh Clinic and the study recommended more improvements in health-care waste management by building a comprehensive system, addressing responsibilities, resource allocation, handling and disposal, raising awareness of the risks related to health-care waste, and of safe and sound practices and selecting a safe and environmentally-friendly management options, to protect people from hazards when collecting, handling, storing, transporting or disposing of the healthcare wastes from each of the hospitals.
Keywords: Hospital, Healthcare Waste, hazardous wastes, Oleh, Waste generation, Dumpsite
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