Awodele Olufunsho, Adewoye Aishat Abiodun, Oparah Azuka Cyril
Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, PMB 12003, Lagos, Nigeria.
Transnational Environmental Co., 75, Tejuosho Surulere, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
BMC Public Health. 2016 Mar 15;16:269. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2916-1.
Medical waste (MW) can be generated in hospitals, clinics and places where diagnosis and treatment are conducted. The management of these wastes is an issue of great concern and importance in view of potential public health risks associated with such wastes. The study assessed the medical waste management practices in selected hospitals and also determined the impact of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) intervention programs. A descriptive cross-sectional survey method was used.
Data were collected using three instrument (questionnaire, site visitation and in -depth interview). Two public (hospital A, B) and five private (hospital C, D, E, F and G) which provide services for low, middle and high income earners were used. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20. Chi-squared test was used to determine level of significance at p < 0.05.
The majority 56 (53.3%) of the respondents were females with mean age of 35.46 (±1.66) years. The hospital surveyed, except hospital D, disposes both general and medical waste separately. All the facilities have the same process of managing their waste which is segregation, collection/on-site transportation, on-site storage and off-site transportation. Staff responsible for collecting medical waste uses mainly hand gloves as personal protective equipment. The intervention programs helped to ensure compliance and safety of the processes; all the hospitals employ the services of LAWMA for final waste disposal and treatment. Only hospital B offered on-site treatment of its waste (sharps only) with an incinerator while LAWMA uses hydroclave to treat its wastes. There are no policies or guidelines in all investigated hospitals for managing waste.
An awareness of proper waste management amongst health workers has been created in most hospitals through the initiative of LAWMA. However, hospital D still mixes municipal and hazardous wastes. The treatment of waste is generally done by LAWMA using hydroclave, to prevent environmental hazards except hospital B that treats its sharp with an incinerator. In order to enhance uniform and appropriate waste management practices in the entire State, there is need for capacity building at all levels and also policies and guidelines formulations.
医院、诊所及开展诊断和治疗的场所都会产生医疗废物。鉴于此类废物可能带来的公共卫生风险，对这些废物的管理是一个备受关注且极为重要的问题。该研究评估了选定医院的医疗废物管理实践，并确定了拉各斯废物管理局（LAWMA）干预项目的影响。采用了描述性横断面调查方法。
使用三种工具（问卷、实地考察和深入访谈）收集数据。选取了两家为低收入、中等收入和高收入人群提供服务的公立医院（医院A、B）和五家私立医院（医院C、D、E、F和G）。使用SPSS 20版进行数据分析。采用卡方检验确定p<0.05时的显著性水平。
大多数（56人，占53.3%）受访者为女性，平均年龄为35.46（±1.66）岁。除医院D外，所调查的医院均分别处理普通废物和医疗废物。所有设施的废物管理流程相同，即分类、收集/现场运输、现场储存和场外运输。负责收集医疗废物的工作人员主要使用手套作为个人防护装备。干预项目有助于确保流程的合规性和安全性；所有医院都聘请LAWMA进行最终的废物处理和处置。只有医院B使用焚化炉对其废物（仅锐器）进行现场处理，而LAWMA使用高压釜处理其废物。所有被调查医院均没有管理废物的政策或指南。
通过LAWMA的倡议，大多数医院的医护人员已形成了正确的废物管理意识。然而，医院D仍将城市垃圾和危险废物混合。除医院B使用焚化炉处理锐器外，一般由LAWMA使用高压釜处理废物，以防止环境危害。为了在全州加强统一且适当的废物管理实践，需要进行各级能力建设，并制定政策和指南。
