Hospital generated waste: An assessment of the awareness of hospital staff

Abstract

Background:The provision of healthcare generates waste which can be detrimental to health and environment. Staff who provide healthcare ought to be aware of the proper handling and the system of management of healthcare waste used by different hospitals. Materials and Methods: A survey of doctors, nurses and allied medical staff for their awareness of the hospital generation and handling of waste was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Results: Lack of awareness, ignorance of policy and procedure on the handling of healthcare waste and failure to attend educational activities were major defects found among healthcare staff in the study. Conclusion: There is a need for a plan to improve the awareness of healthcare workers about hospital generated waste and its proper handling.