Survey on Biomedical Waste Management in Laboratories in Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt

James, G. I.; Owo, W. J.

James, G. I. Department of Integrated Science, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State
Owo, W. J. Department of Integrated Science, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State

Keywords: Biomedical Waste, Management, Laboratories, Hazardous Materials, Surgery, Teaching-hospital

Abstract

Biomedical waste (BMW) generated in Nigeria on daily basis is immense and contains infectious and hazardous materials. It is crucial on the part of the employees to know the hazards of biomedical waste in the work environment and make its disposition effective and in a scientific manner. It is critical that the different professionals engaged in the healthcare sector have adequate knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) with respect to biomedical waste management. Many studies across the country have shown that there are still deficiencies in the KAP of the employees in the organizations, hence, it is necessary to make the appraisal of the same in Rivers State Teaching Hospital. The paper adopted contingency and bureaucratic theories. To ascertain the levels of and the expanse of gaps in knowledge, attitudes and practices among doctors, post graduates, staff nurses, laboratory technicians and house-keeping staffs in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Rivers State Teaching Hospital, a cross sectional study was carried out using questionnaire as the study tool among the health care professionals in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The study demonstrated gaps in the knowledge amongst all the cadres of the study respondents. The knowledge in relation to BMW Management including the hospital BMW protocols was more desirable among doctors, but practical facets were better in nurses and the lab technicians. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice amongst the different cadres of staff members were found to be significant statistically. Based on the findings, the study recommended that training and re-training at all laboratory staff Biomedical waste management should be treated like security issues if it should be carried out irrespective of class as infections organisms or agent does not respect class or rank to be infected. All laboratory personnel should be acquainted with safe handling at both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

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