Occupational health risks associated with medical waste management practices among health professionals working in three district hospitals in Rwanda

Abstract

BackgroundProper healthcare waste management is crucial to minimize the exposure of health professionals, patients, and the public in general, and to reduce the pollution of the environment in particular.In Rwanda, scientific documents on occupational health risks resulting from medical waste management practices among healthcare workers are currently rare. AimThis study aimed to explore occupational health risks associated with medical waste management practices among health professionals in the Rwandan context. Method A cross-sectional study design was used. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The respondents were composed of health professionals (medical doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff) from the district hospital and six key informants. We used questionnaire, interview guide, and observation checklists as research instruments. We performed descriptive statistics to analyze the quantitative data. Also, qualitative data were analyzed using narrative analysis method. ResultsThe findings revealed that 56.5 % of respondents from Kibagabaga hospital, 26.8% from Masaka and 49.3% from Muhima Hospital reported that they experienced occupational health risks related to inadequate medical waste management at their workplaces, and some of those risks include risk of infection and physical injuries. ConclusionThis study concludes that health professionals working in health facilities in Rwanda are exposed to the risks resulting from poor medical waste management practices. Thus, the study recommends putting more emphasis on raising awareness of staff towards risks resulting from poor medical waste management practices.

Safety Practices and Associated Factors among Healthcare Waste Handlers in Four Public Hospitals, Southwestern Ethiopia

“…In this study, we attempted to determine the status of occupational safety practices and associated factors among healthcare waste handlers in public hospitals situated in the South West Region of Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, despite highly infectious waste being generated in healthcare facilities, unsafe waste handling and management practices in public health facilities is one of the most typical problems experienced in the country [21,24,28]. In this study, it was revealed that the overall prevalence of good waste handling practices among healthcare waste handlers was 47.3%, which is low.…”

“…Moreover, safety practices related to personal hygiene, medical waste handling, and the utilization of personal protective equipment, the availability of safety materials, and vaccination status were collected using a questionnaire with further crosschecking by observation. The questionnaire was developed after reviewing different studies [22][23][24][25][26][27], and modifications were also made to fit with our research objectives. The questionnaire contained both open-and closed-ended questions.…”

“…Additionally, data collectors assessed the overall waste disposal and segregation practices of health facilities using the observational checklists adapted from Mengiste et al [17] and Tekle et al [21]. The occupational safety practices that were assessed using the observation checklist included hand washing, personal protective equipment utilization, waste segregation, disinfection of infectious waste matters, availability of proper dust bins for waste storage, and availability of safety guidelines and protocols, each of which determines the risk of exposure to occupational hazards [24].…”

Healthcare Waste Management: An Overview

“…https://doi.org/10.53982/ajerd.2024.0701.02-j Raji et al Volume 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.53982/ajerd Segregation of wastes is important as seen in a study where all the infectious wastes are not segregated; thus, leading to the wastes receiving the same treatment, thereby increasing the overall cost of managing the waste [44]. Improper medical waste separation increases the exposure of healthcare workers and waste handlers to infections, injuries, and other occupational risks [45]. In a study in Croatia, Kanisek et al [46] concluded based on their analysis that 60-80% of the sharp injuries in non-healthcare workers (cleaning staff) are due to improper mixing of sharp objects with infectious wastes.…”