Healthcare waste management: Current practices in selected healthcare facilities, Botswana

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 226-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bontle Mbongwe ◽  
Baagi T. Mmereki ◽  
Andrew Magashula
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Current Practices

Factors driving the development of healthcare waste management in the United Kingdom over the past 60 years

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
William K. Townend ◽  
Christopher Cheeseman ◽  
Jen Edgar ◽  
Terry Tudor
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
The Uk

Since the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom in 1948 there have been significant changes in the way waste materials produced by healthcare facilities have been managed due to a number of environmental, legal and social drivers. This paper reviews the key changes in legislation and healthcare waste management that have occurred in the UK between 1948 and the present time. It investigates reasons for the changes and how the problems associated with healthcare wastes have been addressed. The reaction of the public to offensive disposal practices taking place locally required political action by the UK government and subsequently by the European legislature. The relatively new UK industry of hazardous healthcare waste management has developed rapidly over the past 25 years in response to significant changes in healthcare practices. The growth in knowledge and appreciation of environmental issues has also been fundamental to the development of this industry. Legislation emanating from Europe is now responsible for driving change to UK healthcare waste management. This paper examines the drivers that have caused the healthcare waste management to move forward in the 60 years since the NHS was formed. It demonstrates that the situation has moved from a position where there was no overall strategy to the current situation where there is a strong regulatory framework but still no national strategy. The reasons for this situation are examined and based upon the experience gained; suggestions are made for the benefit of countries with systems for healthcare waste management still in the early stages of development or without any provisions at all.

Management of healthcare waste in circumstances of limited resources: a case study in the hospitals of Nablus city, Palestine

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issam A. Al-Khatib ◽  
Yousef S. Al-Qaroot ◽  
Mohammad S. Ali-Shtayeh
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Generation Rate ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Waste Generation Rate

The objectives of this study were the assessment of healthcare waste management and the characterization of healthcare waste material generated in the hospitals in Nablus city, Palestine, and furthermore, to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B among the cleaning personnel working in these hospitals. The medical waste generation rate in kg per bed per day was between 0.59 and 0.93 kg bed— 1 day—1. The waste generation rate in the healthcare facilities of Nablus city hospitals was similar to some other developing countries; however, the percentage of medical wastes in the total waste stream was comparatively high. The density of medical waste at the four hospitals studied ranged between 144.9 and 188.4 kg m— 3 with a mean value of 166.7 kg m—3. The waste segregation and handling practices were very poor. Other alternatives for waste treatment rather than incineration such as a locally made autoclave integrated with a shredder should be evaluated and implemented. The system of healthcare waste management in Nablus city is in need of immediate improvement and attention. Formulating rules and guidelines for medical waste and developing strategies for overcoming the obstacles related to waste management should be considered as an urgent matter.

scholarly journals Healthcare waste management assessment: Challenges for hospitals in COVID-19 pandemic times

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2110103
Author(s):  
Andreza de Aguiar Hugo ◽  
Renato da Silva Lima
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
The State ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Contaminated Waste ◽  
Selection Of

With the spread of the new Coronavirus, there was an increase in the generation of contaminated waste. Thus, healthcare waste management (HCWM) became even a greater challenge in hospitals due to Coronavirus easily spread. In this context, it was necessary to create tools that could aid healthcare facilities in evaluating their HCWM. Therefore, the objective of this article was to elaborate a support tool that helps in identifying the shortcomings of hospitals’ HCWM. For this purpose, the Health Service Waste Management Index was developed based on the selection of indicators in the area. The index was applied to six hospitals in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its application meet the purpose of this research, since the results in the form of an index objectively summarize the reality of the HCWM in healthcare facilities. From the six hospitals investigated, four were classified as highly efficient. However, even though most of them were well evaluated, they still have difficulties with properly training their employees, which can be even a worse problem during a pandemic, when every precaution is extremely important to reduce the spread of the disease. Therefore, beyond this article contribution related to sustainability by demanding the hospitals to check which points of HCWM should be improved, it also adds academically by developing a tool with indicators that evaluate operational, human, economic and environmental factors in an innovative way.

scholarly journals Awareness and practices of biomedical waste management in government health care facilities in Kamrup District, Assam

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 2684
Author(s):  
Jutika Ojah ◽  
Rakesh Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Biomedical Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Waste Segregation ◽  
Study Population ◽  
One Year

Background: Biomedical waste (BMW) is waste generated in the course of healthcare activities. It is a matter of serious concern to health and environment agencies. Objectives of the study was to assess awareness and practice of healthcare personnels regarding biomedical waste management (BMWM) in government healthcare facilities (HCF) in Kamrup district and to assess training given to healthcare workers involved in BMWM.Methods: The present study was undertaken in 109 HCF in Kamrup District, Assam. The study duration was for one year and the study population included were healthcare workers (HCW) with the help of a pretested interview schedule to elicit the knowledge of BMW management. An observatory checklist was also used to find out the practices.Results: About one-fourth of 218 respondents belonged to age group 26-30 years. Half of the respondents were nurses, 17.9% were doctors, 12.8% were pharmacists and 8.3% were waste handlers. Majority (78.4%) were aware of BMWM rules. Awareness on  hazardness of healthcare waste, segregation of waste, maximum storage time of hospital waste, awareness about availability of  training on healthcare waste management were found to be more among the doctors (84.6%, 79.4%, 56.4%, 82.1% respectively) and less among waste handlers (44.4%, 33.3%, 38.9%, 44.4% respectively). Only 40.8% were trained. The practice of disposing BMW in specified colour coded containers were done by 56.4% HCW. Out of 18 waste handlers, only 16.7% had the practice of wearing all the personal protective equipments (PPE) while handling BMW. All total 59.6% HCW had been vaccinated against Hepatitis B.Tetanus vaccination was taken by 77.5% HCW.Conclusions: Sensitization and training in accredited centres for HCW should be done regularly to develop awareness and motivation. Continuous monitoring and inspection of HCF need to be done.

scholarly journals Nomenclature for Healthcare Waste in the Healthcare Sector and Its Alignment with the Provisions Made by The World Health Organization’s Manual for Healthcare Waste Management: A Scoping Review

Recycling ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Lydia Hangulu
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
The World ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Health Organization

There is lack of uniform nomenclature for healthcare waste (HCW) globally, which could undermine efforts to develop and implement appropriate policies relating to healthcare waste management (HCWM) in developing countries. This study sought to understand the terminologies used to describe HCW, including their definitions, categories, classification, and how they align with those that are provided by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s global manual for HCWM from healthcare facilities. The study first identified terms from the existing literature; then, it conceptually mapped the literature, and identified gaps and areas of further inquiry. Six electronic databases—EBSCOhost, Open Access, ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were used to search for literature. A total of 112 studies were included in the study. Despite having various nomenclature for HCW globally that align with those provided by the WHO manual, the use of varying nomenclature could create confusion among healthcare workers in the quest of managing HCW properly, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Further studies must be conducted to determine how these terminologies are interpreted and implemented in practice by healthcare workers. This will help to understand how their implementation aligns with the recommendations provided by the WHO manual.

Water, sanitation and hygiene in Jordan’s healthcare facilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 645-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Saleh Khader
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine water availability, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) services, and healthcare waste management in Jordan healthcare facilities. Design/methodology/approach In total, 19 hospitals (15 public and four private) were selected. The WSH services were assessed in hospitals using the WSH in health facilities assessment tool developed for this purpose. Findings All hospitals (100 percent) had a safe water source and most (84.2 percent) had functional water sources to provide enough water for users’ needs. All hospitals had appropriate and sufficient gender separated toilets in the wards and 84.2 percent had the same in outpatient settings. Overall, 84.2 percent had sufficient and functioning handwashing basins with soap and water, and 79.0 percent had sufficient showers. Healthcare waste management was appropriately practiced in all hospitals. Practical implications Jordan hospital managers achieved major achievements providing access to drinking water and improved sanitation. However, there are still areas that need improvements, such as providing toilets for patients with special needs, establishing handwashing basins with water and soap near toilets, toilet maintenance and providing sufficient trolleys for collecting hazardous waste. Efforts are needed to integrate WSH service policies with existing national policies on environmental health in health facilities, establish national standards and targets for the various healthcare facilities to increase access and improve services. Originality/value There are limited WSH data on healthcare facilities and targets for basic coverage in healthcare facilities are also lacking. A new assessment tool was developed to generate core WSH indicators and to assess WSH services in Jordan’s healthcare facilities. This tool can be used by a non-WSH specialist to quickly assess healthcare facility-related WSH services and sanitary hazards in other countries. This tool identified some areas that need improvements.

Healthcare waste management in Ghanaian hospitals: Associated public health and environmental challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 831-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T Odonkor ◽  
Tahiru Mahami
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Healthcare Operations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
Waste Management Practices

Healthcare waste generation is an integral part of healthcare operations. Improper healthcare waste management and disposal can be detrimental to humans and the environment. The objective of this paper is to investigate the healthcare waste management practices, aiming to provide needed data to inform policy decisions. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional study. Quantitative data was obtained from 497 respondents who worked in 25 major healthcare facilities. Data was analyzed using (SPSS) version 23.0. Results indicated that 52.4% of respondents had knowledge about healthcare waste management. However, only 12% of the respondents were open to training in healthcare/biomedical waste management. Less than half of the respondent (47.5%) practiced waste segregation at the sources of generation. There were significantly more healthcare waste disposal materials available ( P = 0.001) in private than government and quasi-government hospitals. Based on the major findings of the study, we recommend that adequate training as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) should be provided to healthcare professionals to improve healthcare waste management. Complacence in adhering to Healthcare waste disposal guideline must be addressed.

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