A Study On Waste Disposal Management In A Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Hospital wastes pose a significant impact on health and environment. The quantity of the Hospital (Bio-Medical) Waste generated varies depending on the hospital polices and practices and also the type of care that is provided. According to a WHO report, globally, around 85% of the hospital wastes are actually non hazardous, 10% are infective (hence, hazardous), and the remaining 5% are non-infectious but hazardous (chemical, pharmaceutical and radioactive).

Objectives: To collect information on the collection, treatment, handling, hauling, and disposal of medical wastes and determine the type of hazardous medical wastes produced in hospital.

Material and Methods: Our study was done at a tertiary care hospital. Information regarding the biomedical waste was obtained through observation and interview with the help of a validated questionnaire prepared for the respective medical and paramedical staff of relevant departments.

Results: Our study revealed that the staff had knowledge of the biomedical waste handling but lacked the practical handling of the waste. The predominant waste noticed in the hospital was human anatomical waste, solid waste, liquid waste and chemical waste. We observed that the collection of waste from each department was twice a day (morning and evening) and was transported to the government approved waste disposal locations.

Conclusion: Every hospital should have regular trainings regarding knowledge and practical application pertaining to handling of Biomedical waste, which will inturn help in protecting themselves, patients and move towards a healthy society.