Assessment of Hospital Waste Management Practices in Public and Private Healthcare establishments of Rahim Yar Khan

Abstract

Background: Hospital waste is considered dangerous as it may pose undesirable effects on human health.

Objective: To assess the hospital waste management practices in private and public-sector healthcare establishments at district Rahim Yar Khan.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in conveniently selected 34 healthcare establishments (HCEs) of district Rahim Yar Khan, from 1^st January to 30^th March 2018. Healthcare establishments included wards of a tertiary care hospital, basic health units, private clinics and hospitals of the district. Variables included were number of beds, color coding, hospital waste segregation at source, appropriate transportation vehicle, storage site and vehicles. SPSS version 21 was used for data entry and analysis.

Results: Twenty-six (76.5%) of the healthcare establishments have waste segregation at source and 1 (2.9%) of HCE have no proper color coding and 21 (61.8%) of the HCEs have workers wearing protective gears and fifteen (44.1%) have appropriate vehicle for waste transport. Waste disposal was incineration in nineteen (55.89%) of HCEs. Eleven (57.9%) of the public sector HCEs were following segregation. (p=0.00) In private sector method of disposal of waste was mostly land disposal 7 (46.7%) while in public sector HCEs, was mostly incineration in 14 (73.7%%). (p=0.00) and out of total 34 HCEs, training about handling and waste management were given in only one (6.6%) of Private Hospitals.

Conclusion: Most of the healthcare establishments have a good waste segregation, baskets with color coding, individual bed side bins available however personal protective gears, waste transport system and waste disposal methods were deficient. There was a mixed pattern of individual steps of waste handling among private and public sector hospitals.