Waste Management With Special emphasis on occupational health and safety at selected healthcare establishments

Abstract

Proper and safe management of HCW is recognized world wide. Similar study was carried out in different countries which have been compared with the findings of this study. Mean waste generation as per bed found 3.18 (:101.13) kg and 6.58 (:100.14) kg in CMHs and public hospitals respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p<O.OI). Mean waste generation as per patient found 3.93(:100.42) and 4.53(:100.28) kg in CMHs and public hospitals respectively. The World Health Organization, European Communities and numerous Environmental Protection agencies have emphasized the need of proper handling and disposal of HCW from the HCEs. The waste was collected from the different departments of the hospitals to compare the contribution of each department. Mean waste generation from Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology, OT, Pathology. Emergency, OPD and Administration department of both CMHs and public hospitals was 332.71 kg vs. 3304.57 kg. 264.30 kg vs. 1703.00 kg, 363.06 kg vs. 1133.00 kg, 63.23 kg vs. 213.17 kg, 20.38 kg vs. 99.33 kg, 17.88 kg vs. 46.97 kg, 28.00 kg vs. 115.00 kg, and 4.00 kg vs. 8.00 kg respectively. In all departments of public hospitals significantly more waste generation was noted than the CMHs. A disease survey was conducted in this study among the waste handlers on the basis of the information given by the individual. Disease survey revealed that out of 275 staffs of hospitals who were all time (198) waste handler 63.3% had skin infection, 26.3% had hepatitis, 55.8% had RTI, 48.0% had gastroenteritis, 48.0% had oClIia( infection, 76.3% had eczema, 74.7% had ring warm infection and 25.3% had fever. In case of some time waste handler (77) only 18.2% had skin infection, 5.2% had hepatitis, 17.6% had RTI, 7.8% had gastroenteritis, 15.6% had eczema, 9.1% had ring warm infection and 13.0% had fever. Among all respondents 55.3% had history of cut injury during handling of waste. From the study, it is apparent that present system of HCW management is environmentally ineffective, inefficient and hazardous for health and the environment. There are many public and private hospitals in our country. This study was conducted on 8 CMHs and 3 MCHs only. So, this study cannot reflect the true picture of the country. The seasonal variation of waste generation rate could not be considered due to lack of enough time. The application of this research will definitely contribute appropriate guidelines for the further future study and future planning and design of HCWM in our country.