Medical waste management practices among selected health-care facilities in Nigeria: A case study

Abstract

Inappropriate medical waste (MW) management practices have become one of the major concerns in developing countries. The objectives of this study are to appraise the procedures and techniques available in collection and segregation of MW, treatment and recycling processes, disposal practices and compliances with rules and regulations in the Health-care Facilities (HCFs) in Ota, South West Nigeria. The HCFs visited includes general hospital, private hospitals, clinics, and primary health-care centers. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews and on-site observations. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software application was employed for analysis. Responses were coded using a linkert scaling procedure. Hypotheses were tested using Bivariate regression technique involving inferential statistics. In addition, the study utilized chi-square non-parametric test for normal distributional effect of the variables. Results showed that MW management practices in most facilities are not totally in line with prescribed standards as expected. It is recommended that a sustained cooperation should be developed among all key actors (government, HCF's responsible and waste managers) so as to implement a safe and reliable medical waste management strategy. This should not only be limited to legislation and policy formulation but also in its monitoring and enforcement.