Assessment of Hospital Wastes Management Practices in Lagos, Nigeria, using Two Health Care Centres as Case Studies

Abstract

Hospital wastes are highly infectious and can pose serious threat to human health. As the rate at which these wastes are generated is getting rapidly higher because of rapid urbanization and population growth, also the problem of disposal of these wastes is becoming more serious. It is of utmost importance that these wastes receive specialized treatment and management prior to their final disposal. Some of these wastes are mixed with household wastes, and the entire pile becomes a great public health hazard. Scavengers search through the piles for salable items, which they wash, repack and resell to the public, endangering their lives, and that of the entire public. Until recently, the management of medical wastes has received little attention despite their potential environmental hazards and public health risks. The collection, storage and disposal of medical wastes in Lagos are of growing environmental problem which needs immediate attention. This study was carried out to assess the current waste management practices in terms of type of wastes and quantities of waste generated in the healthcare facilities and the waste handling and disposal practices; also, to assess the level of awareness of health workers regarding hospital and clinical waste management. Two health care facilities in Lagos state were used as case studies. These hospitals are secondary facilities providing emergency, surgical, material and child health services. The methodology design was mainly of qualitative and involved physical observation, questionnaire administration, quantitative data collection procedures and manipulation, data analysis and interpretation. The findings showed that there was almost no knowledge of hospital waste management policy in the two health care facilities among the management staff, which seemed to confirm the premium on hospital wastes and their poor management.