Evaluation of Biomedical Waste Management: a Case Study of the Mater Hospital in Nairobi County - Kenya

Abstract

The research study was based on evaluation of biomedical waste management and was carried out at the Mater Hospital in Nairobi County and the main objective of the study was to examine the policies and regulations regarding biomedical waste management of the Mater Hospital. The specific objectives were to: a) Evaluate the types of biomedical wastes generated by the Mater Hospital, and know the existing practices regarding biomedical waste and its management at the Mater Hospital, b) Assess compliance of the facility’s activities with Environmental Management and Coordination Act 1999 as well as Environmental Management and Coordination (Waste Management) Regulations 2006, c) Evaluate the awareness in hospital personnel regarding bio-medical waste and its management, d) Assessment of health and safety practices for the health care personnel involved in Bio-Medical Waste Management. Both primary and secondary data were used. Secondary data was obtained from the hospitals’ documents, published hospital magazines and booklets as well as the hospital website. Primary data was collected using questionnaire, informal interviews, key informant and observation checklist to check the waste categories, quantities and how they were handled; existence of BMWM plan and policies; BMW treatment methods and protective gears available for the waste handlers. The visits took 10 days between 7th and 16th of July 2013 and photos were taken where necessary to accompany the findings during the field research. The respondents were sampled using stratified sampling across the different departments in eight categories which included 8 doctors, 9 nurses, 4 radiologists, 4 pharmacists, 10 lab assistants, 6 administrative staff, 5 teaching staff and 7 support staff totaling to 53 respondents. The doctors and nurses were sampled from different departments having 1 doctor and 1 nurse from each department which were casualty, wards, consultants’ clinic, theatre, dental unit, well mother clinic, well baby clinic and dialysis unit with an extra nurse from ICU. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and hypotheses tested using Chi square technique. The results indicated that ―Biomedical waste management practices are dependent of staff awareness‖. Even though the hospital failed to provide information on the quantity of waste the hospital generated, it was concluded that there was adequate training of personnel, and awareness regarding the proper ways of handling biomedical wastes though some of the waste handlers did not segregate wastes but mixed them up and a large amount was incinerated including the wastes that would otherwise have been noninfectious. The study concluded that regular orientation and re-orientation training programs should be organized for hospital staff and strict implementation of guidelines of biomedical waste management, to protect themselves and hospital visitors. The study therefore recommends a training program for different levels of hospital staff in BMW management; Improving waste minimization and management; measure and quantify the amount of medical waste generated in each unit of the hospital periodically; avail the BMW management plan to all departments then a regular program of inspection and review can be undertaken within the hospital