Assessment of hospital waste management practices in government and private tertiary hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Introduction Hospitals in Bangladesh grapple with inadequate waste disposal systems and a lack of effective waste management policies, posing substantial health and safety risks to patients and healthcare workers. This study aimed to assess the current state of hospital waste management practices, c...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Public Health and Toxicology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.publichealthtoxicology.com/Assessment-of-hospital-waste-management-practices-nin-government-and-private-tertiary,177820,0,2.html |
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| Summary: | Introduction
Hospitals in Bangladesh grapple with
inadequate waste disposal systems and a lack of effective
waste management policies, posing substantial health
and safety risks to patients and healthcare workers.
This study aimed to assess the current state of hospital
waste management practices, covering waste generation,
segregation, collection, transportation, storage, treatment,
and disposal in both tertiary private and government
hospitals in Dhaka.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted, in both
a government institution, Shaheed Suhrwardy Medical
College & Hospital (ShSMCH), and a private tertiary
hospital, Bangladesh Medical College and Hospital (BMCH),
located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 217 participants
were chosen via convenience sampling. The study utilized
a semi-structured questionnaire comprising sections
on sociodemographic information, general institutional
characteristics, waste management practices, and the
implementation of UN-WHO HCWM (United Nations-World
Health Organizations Health Care Waste Management) Rapid
Assessment Tools.
Results
Our findings revealed that the majority of
participants (96.4% in ShSMCH and 100% in BMCH)
reported practicing waste segregation based on the waste
category, with 97.4% mentioning the shredding of plastic
syringes after use in both hospitals. Additionally, 82% of
respondents in ShSMCH and 51.3% in BMCH indicated the
maintenance of hospital waste records at their workplace.
Most respondents (87.1%) across both hospitals were
vaccinated against tetanus and hepatitis B. Training on
Hospital Waste Management (HWM) was reported by
69.8% in ShSMCH and 29.5% in BMCH. The study further
assessed the level of practice in waste management,
revealing that 58.3% of respondents in ShSMCH and 89.7%
in BMCH demonstrated a good level of practice. Significant
associations were observed between the level of practice and
age group (p=0.002) and professional status (p<0.001).
Conclusions
The study recommends forming trained
waste management teams and infection control committees,
along with clear guidelines to improve waste management
practices. Effective management requires adequate supplies
and equipment in all departments. Budgeting for HCWM
should be part of both short- and long-term operational plans
to ensure compliance and sufficient resources. |
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| ISSN: | 2732-8929 |