HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT AWARENESS, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES IN TWIN CITIES OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

In developing countries like Pakistan hospital waste management is one of the ignored areas that have further augmented the poor hygiene conditions. This study was undertaken to highlight the medical waste management condition in the capital city Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi. Seventeen hospitals located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were visited; doctors, paramedical staff and sanitary workers were interviewed. Hospital waste generated per patient per bed was weighed randomly; twice a week for four months and average waste production was calculated. Results of this study bring to light the unawareness and ill practices mainly of medical waste handling personnel of the hospitals. Lacks of proper training, noncompliance of protective measures, inappropriate catchment sites, intermixing of infectious waste with general waste were frequently observed. Our studies strongly recommend a robust and regular training of medical staff including sanitary workers and a vigilant system for waste management policy implementation.