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Medical waste management at Tygerberg hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa
Author(s)
Abor, Patience Aseweh
Date Issued
2007
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
This study examined the medical waste management practices of Tygerberg Hospital.
The researcher made use of both primary and secondaiy data. Since this was a is study,
the analysis is essentially descriptive.The results of this study revealed that both general and medical wastes are generated in
the hospital. Tygerberg Hospital does not quantify medical waste. Segregation of medical
wastes into infectious medical waste and non-infectious medical waste is not conducted
according to definite rules and standards. The hospital does not label infectious waste
with Biohazard symbol. Separation of medical waste and municipal waste is however
practiced to a satisfactory extent. Wheeled trolleys are used for on-site transportation of
waste from the points of production (different wards) to the temporary storage area. Staff
responsible for collecting medical waste use almost complete personal protective
equipment. The results of this study indicated that off-site transportation of the hospital
waste is undertaken by a private waste management company. Waste is transported daily
and small pickups are mainly used by the waste management company for transporting
the waste to an off-site area for treatment and disposal. The final disposal of the medical
waste is done by the private waste management company. The main treatment method
used in the final disposal of infectious waste is incineration. Non-infectious waste is
disposed of using land disposal method. The hospital does not recycle medical waste
materials except white office paper and mixed office paper and the use of empty
containers of antiseptics for the collection and temporary storage of sharps.The hospital does not provide training for staff members on the health and environmental
effects of infectious waste. The waste management company's workers have also not
received any formal training with regards to medical waste management. The study
showed that Tygerberg Hospital does not have a policy and plan in place for managing
medical waste. There is no definite policy or plan for purchasing the necessary equipment
and for providing the facilities for the correct management of medical waste in the
hospital. There are also no policies and guidelines regarding the recycling of medical
waste products. There are a number of problems the hospital faces in terms of medical
waste management, including; lack of necessary rules, regulations and instructions on the
different aspects of collection and disposal of waste, intermingling of hazardous wastes
with domestic waste in the hospital sometimes, failure to quantify the waste generated in
reliable records, lack of use of coloured bags by limiting the bags to only one colour for
all waste, the absence of a dedicated waste manager, the supervisor in charge of general
services has waste management as part of his job schedule, and there is no committee
responsible for monitoring the management of medical waste. From the results of this
study, it is obvious that medical waste management is not practiced according to the
World Health Organisation's (WHO's) recommended standards. There are some areas
where medical wastes are not properly managed. It is imperative for significant
investment in the proper management of medical waste in order to reduce the health risk
it poses.
The researcher made use of both primary and secondaiy data. Since this was a is study,
the analysis is essentially descriptive.The results of this study revealed that both general and medical wastes are generated in
the hospital. Tygerberg Hospital does not quantify medical waste. Segregation of medical
wastes into infectious medical waste and non-infectious medical waste is not conducted
according to definite rules and standards. The hospital does not label infectious waste
with Biohazard symbol. Separation of medical waste and municipal waste is however
practiced to a satisfactory extent. Wheeled trolleys are used for on-site transportation of
waste from the points of production (different wards) to the temporary storage area. Staff
responsible for collecting medical waste use almost complete personal protective
equipment. The results of this study indicated that off-site transportation of the hospital
waste is undertaken by a private waste management company. Waste is transported daily
and small pickups are mainly used by the waste management company for transporting
the waste to an off-site area for treatment and disposal. The final disposal of the medical
waste is done by the private waste management company. The main treatment method
used in the final disposal of infectious waste is incineration. Non-infectious waste is
disposed of using land disposal method. The hospital does not recycle medical waste
materials except white office paper and mixed office paper and the use of empty
containers of antiseptics for the collection and temporary storage of sharps.The hospital does not provide training for staff members on the health and environmental
effects of infectious waste. The waste management company's workers have also not
received any formal training with regards to medical waste management. The study
showed that Tygerberg Hospital does not have a policy and plan in place for managing
medical waste. There is no definite policy or plan for purchasing the necessary equipment
and for providing the facilities for the correct management of medical waste in the
hospital. There are also no policies and guidelines regarding the recycling of medical
waste products. There are a number of problems the hospital faces in terms of medical
waste management, including; lack of necessary rules, regulations and instructions on the
different aspects of collection and disposal of waste, intermingling of hazardous wastes
with domestic waste in the hospital sometimes, failure to quantify the waste generated in
reliable records, lack of use of coloured bags by limiting the bags to only one colour for
all waste, the absence of a dedicated waste manager, the supervisor in charge of general
services has waste management as part of his job schedule, and there is no committee
responsible for monitoring the management of medical waste. From the results of this
study, it is obvious that medical waste management is not practiced according to the
World Health Organisation's (WHO's) recommended standards. There are some areas
where medical wastes are not properly managed. It is imperative for significant
investment in the proper management of medical waste in order to reduce the health risk
it poses.
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007
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