Assessment of Medical Waste Management at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital-Ghana

Abstract

Despite the public health and environmental consequences associated with medical waste, much attention has not been given to its management in health care centres in developing countries. This study assessed medical waste generation and management practices in the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana. The study employed mixed methods. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from seventy four (74) hospital employees using structured questionnaire, interview and observation. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and t-test statistics at p<0.05. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis procedure. The study found that the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital generates an average daily medical waste of 35.12 kg (mean = 278.71, SD = 20.263; t = 36.39, p<0.05 and medical waste per patient per day was 0.1291 kg. Waste segregation was practiced using coloured bags (20.3%), metal dust bins (36.5%) and boxes (43.2%). The hospital has no written policy guidelines for handling medical waste. The poor management practices of medical waste generated in the Teaching Hospital is a situation-driven as it was not clearly backed by any well-designed policy framework. This raises many questions about the human health and environmental implications and level of attention the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) and Ministry of Health (MOH) give to medical waste management practices in the Hospital. There is the need for a sustainable medical waste management system at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital to avoid its negative impact on human health and the environment.

Keywords: Medical Waste, Medical Waste Management, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Central Region, Ghana.

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-10-02

Publication date:October 31^st 2021