Assessmcnt of healthcare waste managemcnt practices in Khulna city corporation

Abstract

The management of healthcare waste is an emergent public health and environmental problem in Bangladesh in general and Khulna city in particular. In Khulna city. therc are about 110 registered hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers, generating about 1,883 kg of waste per day. The generation rate of total healthcare waste and hazardous healthcare waste in Khulna city has been found 0.85 kg/bcd/day and 0.15 kg/bcd/day, respectively and the hazardous portion accounts around 15% of the total generated waste. Generation rate of waste in the Gov!. hospitals (0.87kg/bed/day.) is slightly higher than the private hospitals (0.84kg/bed/day). Assessment of management system indicates that most of the worker (around 56%) did not receive any form of training for how to handle hazardous waste. And many (around 47%) of them did not use safety equipments and clothing. It is found from the study that. the average expenditure of existing waste management system of Gov!. hospital, Privatc hospital and Diagnostic centre arc Tk.13/kg of waste, Tk. 25/kg of waste and Tk.63/kg of waste respectively. Assessment of cost of different treatment options indicate that thc cost of incineration will be around Tk. 28.00/kg of waste. The cost of microwaving will be Tk. 27.00/kg of waste and the cost of autoclaving will bc Tk. 24.00/kg of waste. All types of hazardous healthcare wastes can be treatcd by incinerator and there arc significant reductions in volume of wastes (90-95%). Microwaving is not suitable for pathological waste; reduction in volume is comparatively less than incineration (60- 90%). On the other hand autoclaving is not suitable for pathological waste and no reduction in volume. The application of this research will contribute to provide appropriate guideline ti.1rthc future planning and design healthcare waste management in Khulna city.