Assessment of composition and generation rate of healthcare wastes in selected public and private hospitals of Ethiopia

In many developing countries, the inadequacy of data regarding the quantity and composition of healthcare waste is one of the major reasons for improper healthcare waste management. We investigated the generation rate and composition of healthcare wastes in six public and three private hospitals. We...

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Veröffentlicht in:Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA. - 1991. - 32(2014), 3 vom: 28. März, Seite 215-20
1. Verfasser: Tesfahun, Esubalew (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Kumie, Abera, Legesse, Worku, Kloos, Helmut, Beyene, Abebe
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2014
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Ethiopia Hospitals generation rate healthcare waste waste composition Hazardous Waste Medical Waste Medical Waste Disposal
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:In many developing countries, the inadequacy of data regarding the quantity and composition of healthcare waste is one of the major reasons for improper healthcare waste management. We investigated the generation rate and composition of healthcare wastes in six public and three private hospitals. We conducted healthcare waste composition and characterization measurements for seven consecutive days in the selected hospitals following the protocol described by the World Health Organization (WHO). The results revealed that the total generation rate of healthcare wastes of hospitals ranged from 0.25 to 2.77 kg/bed/day with a median value of 1.67 kg/bed/day for inpatients to 0.21-0.65 in kg/patient/day with a median value of 0.31 kg/patient/day for outpatients. The waste generation rate in private hospitals (median 3.9 kg/bed/day) was significantly greater (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.05) than in government hospitals (median 1.5 kg/bed/day). The median values of percent hazardous waste estimated for private and government hospitals were 63.4% and 52.2%, respectively. These figures are about three times greater than the threshold values recommended by the WHO. This situation might be attributed to the improper practice of healthcare waste segregation by health professionals and auxiliary health workers due to inadequate risk perception and lack of enforced public health regulations. The study revealed that the generation rate and proportion of hazardous waste significantly varies between public and private hospitals and number of patients treated per day
Beschreibung:Date Completed 26.01.2015
Date Revised 21.09.2015
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1096-3669
DOI:10.1177/0734242X14521683