Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Generation and Disposal of Solid Clinical Waste in General Hospital and Infectious Disease Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Characterization and Management Strategies
by H. Ngouakam, M. Bi Suh Atanga, A. F. Onojeta, Aniekan Essienobong J. and G.D. Konlak

Abstract:
Clinical waste in health facilities still constitutes a major risk to public health and the environment. A descriptive survey on their characterization and management was conducted in General Hospital and Infectious Disease Hospital Ikot Ekpene. A non-Probability sampling design was used in the methodology of this work. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of forty-five (45) respondents involved in management of wastes. This was obtained through systematic sampling technique used in selecting the respondents. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using percentage, and frequency tables. The researcher also adopted oral interview method to obtain information related to the study. From the results of data analysis, it was observed that general hospital generates 25.25 times much volume of health care waste than Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH); the wastes so generated were not quantified, thus the researcher adopted the Douet Billing per Service Unit of the Institution Method of waste measurement to arrive at the results, and only solid health care wastes were quantified. It was also found in the course of the study that health care waste management was not given serious attention in the selected hospitals in Ikot Ekpene L.G.A. The most commonly used waste management method in the hospitals was open dumping. Six categories of health care wastes were identified in the two health facilities, namely; infectious, pathological, sharps, pharmaceutical, chemical and radioactive wastes. Physical, chemical, and biological hazards were also identified. General and Infectious Diseases hospitals (IDH) were respectively made of 14 wards/units, 239 beds and 6 wards/units, 28 beds. An estimated total of 33.4kg/day (0.0334 tons/day) of solid health care wastes were generated in the two hospitals. Open dumping, incineration, burying and open burning were the different methods of waste disposal. In conclusion, the study revealed that health care waste was poorly managed in the selected hospitals in Ikot Ekpene LGA This calls for serious concern, having in mind the tendency for infection transmission arising from poor health care waste management in the area

Keywords: dumping, radioactive, protection, sharps and cytotoxic

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