Trends in Healthcare Waste Management Practices: A Case Study of Health Professionals at Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

In comparison to municipal waste and the cost of proper management, the risks associated with poor healthcare waste management have the potential to have a significant impact on public and environmental health. The goal of this research was to investigate the healthcare waste management practices of health workers at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia in Abia State. A cross-sectional survey of 319 participants was conducted using a structured questionnaire, yielding 313 responses. The result of the study shows that majority of health workers (85.90%) use colour coded containers and plastic bags for HCW collection of healthcare waste. Respondents frequently used lidder containers, storage houses, wheeled trolleys, wheeled bins, garbage trucks, and wheelbarrows for HCW transportation, according to the study. Incineration and chemical disinfection were the most commonly used infectious waste treatment methods at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia in Abia State, while compositing, steam disinfection, gas disinfection, and other methods were rarely used. The majority of respondents preferred burning as their final disposal method, followed by open dumping, controlled incineration, burying, and others. Overall, the findings of the study suggest that more attention should be paid to waste management in the facility, as well as the need for hospital management to designate a waste management team and implement strict biomedical waste management rules.