Determining the Status of Medical Waste Production in Healthcare Centers of Siahkal City

Background: Medical and healthcare wastes are major environmental concerns due to their hazardous and polluting nature.Considering the environmental hazards posed by medical waste as a regional and global issue, it is essential to conduct studies on the status of medical waste generation and management in Siahkal city, located in the eastern part of Gilan province.This city serves as a representative example of northern cities in the country. Materials and Methods:This study investigated the waste produced by all medical and healthcare centers in Siahkal on an annual basis.Three days of each month were selected to weigh the waste produced, using a 10gram scale.Excel and SPSS software were used to categorize and analyze the data. Results:The average total amount of waste produced in healthcare centers in the city was estimated to be 8,262.98kg annually, consisting of 5,588.43 kg of infectious waste, 2,111.74kg of general waste, 317.09 kg of needles, and 245.72 kg of chemical waste.The results showed that the total amount of waste produced (from clinics, private sectors, and hospitals) is higher in the spring and summer seasons compared to the autumn and winter.Additionally, the amount of medical waste produced by different treatment departments varied significantly.. Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that hospital waste management in Siahkal city is generally inadequate.Private offices and clinics in the city are in worse condition than healthcare centers and hospitals in terms of waste production, separation, decontamination, and disposal.