Abstract:
In any solid waste management study information on solid waste characteristics and rate of
generation is essential. In Jimma Medical Center, the effects of healthcare waste on the
community and the environment were high. The general purpose of this study was to evaluate
solid healthcare waste generation rate and management system in Jimma Medical Center,
Ethiopia. The study was conducted using Field observation, Questionnaire, and interview
methods. The sample size was determined using both stratified and simple random sampling
techniques with 95% confidence interval. To get reliable data 243 beds were randomly selected
from the study area. A structured questionnaire was used to collect real information or data on
the management of Jimma Medical Center and daily traits. The solid waste of each ward
(department) was collected, sorted and weighted for 15 consecutive days for compositional and
generation rate analysis. The data were analyzed using Microsoft excel 2010 and SPSS version
20. According to the data analysis, the composition of the waste was found high in food waste
(61%), plastics (19.5%), textiles (9.7%), and others (7.3%); the mean hospital waste generation
rate was 1.66kg/day/patient of which 0.98Kg/day/patient (59.3%) was general waste and
0.68kg/day/patient (40.7%) was hazardous waste, of which (11.7%) Pathological, (8.4%)
Pharmaceutical, (15.2%) Infectious, (5.4%) sharp wastes and General Waste (59.3%).Non hazardous waste (59.3%) and Hazardous Waste (40.7%). The average Bulk density of Jimma
Medical Center was 820 kg/m3. The correlation analysis clearly showed that the generation rate
positively correlated to the different the management systems. Finally, the HCW generation rate
was high but its management very poor. Lack of accessible guideline, waste management utility,
adequate training, financial constraint, and poor managerial supports were identified as the
main challenges. There should be sufficient resource allocation, periodic training, and strict
supervision by the stakeholders.
