Health Care Waste Generation rate and its Management in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar Town, northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Hospitals provide patient care and prevent the public from health risk. On one hand they cure patients and on the other, have emerged as a source of diseases because of by the activities of health care service hazardous waste they produce. Until recent time, not enough attention has been given for the management of hospital waste. The amount and type of waste generated from the hospital is not well established in Ethiopia .The aim of this study, assessment of waste generation rate and its management system provide important information for future planning and appropriate waste management practice for Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital. Objective: To assess health care waste generation rate and management system in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, 2014. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative was employed to determine waste generation rate and assess its management system in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital from November 20- December 20/2014. Observation checklist and in-depth interview with 16 key informants of the hospital staffs were used to assess the health care waste management practice in terms of segregation, collection, transportation and disposal. Weighting scale was used to quantify the waste generation rate for seven consecutive days in each unit. For the average quantity, mean, standard deviation and Kurskal-Wallis test was computed for descriptive and statistical analysis. And results were presented using tables and figures as appropriate. Result: -The total waste generated was 758.55kg/day. Among these, the 0.1kg/bed/day were pathological, 0.88 were infectious, 0.02 were harps and 1.69 were general wastes. The three largest proportion of wastes were generated from gynecology and maternity (31%), surgical (18.8%), and OPD (16.1%). The three units that smallest amount of wastes were generated from laboratory (4.4%), the offices (0.2%) and radiology (0.2%). The hospital has no waste segregation practice by type of waste. The waste disposal methods were open burning pit, incinerator and placenta pit. Conclusion: The mean health care waste generated was high, which was 2.70 kg/bed/day, of which 1.69 kg/bed/day (62.59%) was general waste and 1.01 kg/bed/day (37.4%) was hazardous waste. But such amount of wastes were managed and disposed in manner that causes health risks to healthcare workers, waste handlers and the surrounding community. In addition it contaminates the surrounding environment (air, soil and water). Segregation of wastes at point of generation and pretreatment should be carried out before disposing to the environment. Standard practices should be adopted in health care waste management. Besides, relevant training should be given to health workers and waste handlers.