Characterization of Medical Wastes from selected Hospitals in Umuahia, Nigeria

Medical wastes are classified as special types of wastes owing to their non-biodegradability. Inadequate medical waste management has been identified as a problem that needs urgent attention in developing countries, especially Nigeria. This study was aimed at estimating the status of medical waste management in Umuahia, southeast Nigeria and making recommendations, which will go a long way in curbing the menace of environmental pollution. The medical facilities studied include Government hospitals, private hospitals and primary health centres/maternity; categories A, B, C respectively. A descriptive study was carried out between February to July 2016, and it involved the use of personal interviews, on-site investigations as well as questionnaires, which were administered to health workers as respondents using multistage sampling. Inventory of medical wastes was taken daily, and the data analysis was carried out with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Results showed that the total quantity of medical wastes generated was found to be 59.811 kg/ward/day, 32.53 kg / ward/day and 31.53 kg/ward/day for categories A, B and C medical facilities respectively. Results also showed that category C lack training on handling while 75% and 50% of A and B respectively conducted training on handling waste. The percentage of adequate knowledge of waste segregation obtained from category A, B and C are 85.7%, 33.3% and 0% respectively. The findings further showed that 57.1% and 28.6% of large and medium hospitals respectively use colour-code for disposal while small hospitals do not. The results obtained indicated low compliance with medical waste management standards. Thus, recommendations are made for pre-service training of health professionals as well as waste handlers, in order to ensure adequate compliance with environmental laws and policies. (paper)