Abstract
Sharps waste is part of infectious waste generated in health facilities, management of which is critical. This study aimed at assessing the sharps waste management practices in a referral hospital. The study was conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data on sharps waste containers (SWCs) management in generation rates was collected for 60 days, while waste incineration data was collected from 65 randomly selected days. This study gives a picture on how sharps wastes are managed from generation to final disposal. The average weight per used safety box observed in this study (1.54 kg/box) was far above the average weight of a normally filled safety box (0.79 kg/box) indicating that most of the safety boxes are overfilled at MNH. The overfilling of SWCs at MNH was at an average of 10.7% of all the SWCs collected, with a maximum value of 30%, indicating a problem in sharps waste management within the hospital. The sharps waste generation rate observed in a referral hospital (40.8 kg/day) was higher than values reported in district hospitals, but the sharps waste proportion in the infectious medical waste incinerated at MNH was low (at 4% on average). Increasing sharps waste proportion in the waste load increased the incinerator performance in terms of fuel effectiveness. The amount of ash collected from the incinerator per day was observed to be minimal compared to literature data. The final ashes were 5.4% of the total waste loaded, which indicates that the incinerator is more effective in weight reduction, rated at 94.6% efficient. Key words: Sharps waste, sharps waste container, overfilled safety box, sharps waste proportion, infectious waste, incinerator ash, fuel effectiveness.
Highlights
This paper presents a study conducted to assess the sharps waste management practices in a referral hospital
Higher values of sharps waste generation observed indicates days with high demand on medical services due to emergency cases referred to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) from Temeke, Amana, Mwananyamala and private hospitals located within the city and from the surrounding districts
The following conclusion can be made: 1) The average weight per used safety box observed in this study (1.54 kg/box) was far above the average weight for a safety box not overfilled (0.79 kg/box) indicating that most of the safety boxes are overfilled at MNH and/or there are signs of poor segregation at the source
Summary
This paper presents a study conducted to assess the sharps waste management practices in a referral hospital. The study involved establishment of the sharps waste generation rate and the proportion of the sharp waste in the total infectious waste generated. The effect of the sharps waste proportion on the incinerator performance was studied. MNH generates both infectious waste and noninfectious waste. Among the infectious waste category, sharps waste are the most hazardous because of the ability to puncture skin and cause infection. Sharps waste contain items that could cause puncture wound, cuts which include needles, syringes with needles, broken glass ampoules, scalpel and blades, infusion sets, etc. The sharps wastes are generated by nurses, laboratory technicians and doctors who are parts of waste management teams in the different areas of service delivery or waste generation points
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