Medical Waste Management Practices in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract Medical waste management is one of the major challenges facing many developing countries, including Nigeria, as unsafe disposal could pose serious health risks and environmental degradation. This study investigated medical waste management practices among staff and patients of Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Jos. The specific objectives were to: characterize the composition of medical waste, find out means of collecting and storing the waste and assess ways of managing medical waste. Mixed research designed was employed, while questionnaire, field observations and camera were used to collect data. Stratified sampling and simple random techniques were used to collect data. Copies of structured questionnaire were administered to 150 respondents and descriptive statistics, aided by SPSS-22 were applied in data analysis. Results showed that sharps (needles & syringes) (31%), blood (23%), and pharmaceuticals (13%) accounted for two-thirds of the medical waste generated in BUTH. The medical waste were collected and stored by means of: dustbins (31%), bucket (29%), truck to transport (17%), burning (15%) and color-red bags (8%). Field observations showed little compliance for waste segregation at source of generation, and incineration (36%) and collection of waste (24%) accounted for two-fifths of medical waste management in BUTH. Although, enclosed incinerator was seen, but burning medical waste often pollute the air and exacerbates the problem of asthmatic patients, aside causing environmental degradation. The paper recommended strict compliance to the WHO guidelines for safe disposal of medical waste and the need to sensitize the public on how best to dispose of biohazardous waste materials with minimal risk to the entire ecosystem.