Healthcare Waste Management (HWM) in Hyderabad (Sindh): A Comparison of Government, Semi-/Non-Government, and Private Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Population expansion and greater accessibility to healthcare have increased the production of medical waste. Along, it is a crucial concern of the government and the healthcare industry for the environment and public safety. Hospitals, dentist offices, clinics, clinical laboratories, and other facilities providing healthcare are among the facilities that produce medical waste. When it comes to handling hospital wastes, developing countries are resource-constrained due to which chances of the spread of infectious diseases increase.

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of hospitals that follow healthcare waste management practices. Along with how well-versed healthcare providers were in terms of awareness, knowledge, and practices.

Methodology: A survey-based study was performed to obtain healthcare waste disposal data from government, semi-government and private hospitals in the region of Sindh. The obtained survey data was fed to the SPSS in the form of statistics to observe the meaningful results related to healthcare waste management.

Results: The average waste generation maximum at private hospitals is found to be 71.2%, in government hospitals it is 25% and in semi-govt/NGO hospitals it is 3.8%. Whereas, it is also observed that more waste management techniques were followed at private hospitals than at government or semi-government.

Conclusion: It is necessary to spread awareness among healthcare practitioners and medical staff on healthcare waste management. Also, the guidelines and policies should be strictly followed to protect the environment and public health.