Hospital waste management in Nairobi City

Abstract

The study aims at examining waste management systems in health facilities within Nairobi city. To study these systems, specific attention has been focussed on the types of wastes generated, collection and disposal methods of these wastes, and their environmental impacts. A sample size of 60 .health facilities consisting of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres and clinics have been purposively selected from different areas within Nairobi city, to be used as an inference to the entire population. The study has relied on both primary and secondary data. Questionnaires, Key-Informant Interviews and field observations are among the data collection teclmiques that have been employed. Data analysis has been aided by SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) technique, making use of both qualitative and quantitative statistical analyses. The former involved the use of simple descriptives such as averages and percentages, while the latter involved the use of advanced statistical analyses such as Friedman Test and Kruskal Wallis H Test. The study found out that waste management systems in health facilities are inadequate. They are not only unhygienic and a public health concern, but also a threat to the biological and physical environment. The study therefore recommends that the Government through the relevant authority should strictly carry out thorough inspection [If health institutions and firms that are licensed and contracted by Nairobi City Council for waste disposal, to ensure that hospital waste handling, collection and disposal are carried out within the laid guidelines and are generally safe to the public health and to the environment. Future research on management of home based medical waste has also been recommended by the study