Hospital Waste Management in Ondo State South West Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the waste management practices in some selected hospitals in the densely populated regions of Ondo state. Five (3 public and 2 privates) hospitals were assessed, wards ranges from 2 to 10 and number of beds ranges from 12 to 84. The study shows complete absence of medical waste tracking, monitoring and testing programme in all the hospitals. In addition, institutionalized medical waste management plan were also absent from all the hospitals, only one had an abatement facility in form of mini-incinerator. However, open dump sites were seen within some of the hospital premises. Medical waste generation rates ranged between 0.38kg/bed/day and 0.97kg/bed/day to 0.7kg/bed/ward/day and 4.38 kg/bed/ward/day, while on average, a generation rate of 0.676kg/bed/day and 2.51kg/bed/ward/day were obtained. More so, it was also observed that numerous kinds of wastes generated were not separated into different bins but disposed in the same refuse bins. The most predominant methods of waste treatments practiced at the hospitals were burning and deep burial. All hospitals and other medical institutions in the state engage the services of the state government waste disposal board for their final collection and disposal of waste as there are no private waste contractors in the state.