Environmental assessment of hospital waste management practices: A study of hospitals in Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

This research aims to identify current procedures of hospital waste management in educational hospitals, in western Iran. This study examined upon to be current procedures of medical waste management focusing on the management of hazardous medical waste, under a circular economy. Three criteria environmental situation, environmental management, and environmental performance. The environmental assessment was done by pair matrixes between criteria and sub-criteria, and between scale levels of the indicators were done. The questionnaire structure adopted in the Romero and Carnero study. The Analytic Hierarchy Process method indicates that aspect of the hazardous waste improvement program is essential. The results demonstrated that 56 % of the total environmental criteria score was VERY DEFICIENT in the scale factors classification. The lowest values indicated in the environmental management aspect and 63 % of the total score was VERY DEFICIENT. The results indicated a deficient value in environmental criteria based on the values received for the commitment to environmental policy standards and waste management procedures. The results of environmental performance criteria have shown; that no data was on atmospheric emission. The lack of rules in green purchasing and renewable energy was indicated. In waste management criteria, the total value was reasonable, but there weren't comprehensive rules for redefining waste types and staff training obligations. However, the redefinition of rules, public and staff training, using new technologies, and determination of specific budgets and green teams by proper supervising cycle can be essential to improve hazardous waste management.