ASSESSMENT OF MEDICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES AT WERABE COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT

A study conducted at Werabe Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Werabe town, Silte Zone, SNNPR Ethiopia from September 11 to December 17, 2023 aimed to promote environmentally responsible and safe waste disposal practices. The study analyzed the management of medical waste and identified areas for improvement, utilizing waste management assessments, checklists, and interviews as both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The questionnaires were translated into Amharic and then back to English to ensure consistency. The findings revealed that the hospital generated an average of 0.244 kg of biomedical waste per patient per day. However, there were areas for improvement, such as waste segregation and the use of substandard open plastic bins for waste collection and transport. Proper segregation of medical waste from general waste is essential, and taking a comprehensive approach to managing solid medical waste could lead to significant cost savings. Additionally, involving environmental health and waste management experts in the infection control team could enhance medical waste handling and prevent improper disposal in public landfills. The study also highlighted that the hospital's average biomedical waste generation rate was 0.244 kg per bed per day, exceeding the hazardous waste generation rate recommended by the World Health Organization for low-income countries. Therefore, standardized biomedical waste management protocols, effective waste segregation, and adequate waste collection infrastructure should be put in place in various departments to ensure safe and responsible waste disposal practices.