Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone

Received: 21 December 2023     Accepted: 2 January 2024     Published: 31 July 2024
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Abstract

Hospital waste poses risks to patients and waste disposal personnel and poses a threat to public health and the environment. Medical waste management is a new issue that is made worse by a lack of funding, knowledge and training to support solutions. Since these wastes have the potential to directly affect environmental health risks as well as public health risks, their collection and treatment are crucial. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of the waste handlers on healthcare waste generated in Bo Government Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the health impact of medical waste management at Bo Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. The author used mixed methods to combine semi-structured and self-administered quantitative questionnaires with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, cleaners, and residents. Near the hospital. A sample of 100 medical staff and residents living near the hospital was taken from Bo Government Hospital using a simple random sampling technique to collect data. Raw data come in a variety of forms, including measurements, questionnaire responses, and observations, and results are presented in tables, graphs, and verbatim using the Statistical Package for Science (SPSS) to present and analyze the collected data. All units participated in data collection, with Human Resources (HR) and laboratories identified as generating more waste, followed by Nursing and Main Theater, where nurses accounted for the majority (n = 27) of respondents participating in the survey. research, followed by cleaners. (n = 13) and CHO (10), the majority of whom were between the ages of 40 and 50 (35%). Some cleaners reported placing their hands on what were identified as major risk factors, endangering workers, despite significant efforts being made to ensure bags were securely tied (81.5%) and carts were washed and disinfected (66.2%). Garbage is not emptied during the day with trolleys (58.5%) being the common means of transportation, while 29.2% handle garbage directly, which can pose a risk. However, 62% of respondents had received formal training in medical waste management. It was recommended that the Ministry of Health continues to organize training courses, especially for cleaning personnel and lower-level employees who have direct daily contact with this waste.

Published in International Journal of Education, Culture and Society (Volume 9, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12
Page(s) 182-187
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Knowledge, Attitude, Waste Handlers, Healthcare Waste

References
[1] Alvim-Ferraz, M., & Afonso, S. (2005). Incineration of healthcare wastes: management of atmospheric emissions through waste segregation. Waste Management, 25(6), 638-648.
[2] Bazrafshan, E., & Kord Mostafapoor, F. (2011). Survey of medical waste characterization and management in Iran: a case study of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Waste Management & Research, 29(4), 442-450.
[3] Ciplak, N., & Kaskun, S. (2015). Healthcare waste management practice in the West Black Sea Region, Turkey: A comparative analysis with the developed and developing countries. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 65(12), 1387-1394.
[4] Dar, M. A. (2023). Solid waste and Its Impact On Water Quality From Nanded Waghala Municipal Corporation.
[5] Edwards, R., & Holland, J. (2013). What is qualitative interviewing?: Bloomsbury Academic.
[6] Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques: New Age International.
[7] LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2021). Nursing research E-book: methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice: Elsevier Health Sciences.
[8] Singh, A., Kumari, R., Wakhlu, A., Srivastava, K., Wakhlu, A., & Kumar, S. (2014). Assessment of biomedical waste management in a government healthcare setting of North India. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 4(11), 203-208.
[9] Tabrizi, J. S., Rezapour, R., Saadati, M., Seifi, S., Amini, B., & Varmazyar, F. (2018). Medical waste management in community health centers. Iranian journal of public health, 47(2), 286.
[10] Tuffrey, V., & Hall, A. (2016). Methods of nutrition surveillance in low-income countries. Emerging themes in epidemiology, 13(1), 1-21.
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  • APA Style

    George, T. P., Braima, P. S., Kamara, I. O. (2024). Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 9(4), 182-187. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12

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    ACS Style

    George, T. P.; Braima, P. S.; Kamara, I. O. Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone. Int. J. Educ. Cult. Soc. 2024, 9(4), 182-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12

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    AMA Style

    George TP, Braima PS, Kamara IO. Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone. Int J Educ Cult Soc. 2024;9(4):182-187. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12,
      author = {Tony Patrick George and Peter Sahr Braima and Idris Ortameson Kamara},
      title = {Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone
    },
      journal = {International Journal of Education, Culture and Society},
      volume = {9},
      number = {4},
      pages = {182-187},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijecs.20240904.12},
      abstract = {Hospital waste poses risks to patients and waste disposal personnel and poses a threat to public health and the environment. Medical waste management is a new issue that is made worse by a lack of funding, knowledge and training to support solutions. Since these wastes have the potential to directly affect environmental health risks as well as public health risks, their collection and treatment are crucial. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of the waste handlers on healthcare waste generated in Bo Government Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the health impact of medical waste management at Bo Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. The author used mixed methods to combine semi-structured and self-administered quantitative questionnaires with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, cleaners, and residents. Near the hospital. A sample of 100 medical staff and residents living near the hospital was taken from Bo Government Hospital using a simple random sampling technique to collect data. Raw data come in a variety of forms, including measurements, questionnaire responses, and observations, and results are presented in tables, graphs, and verbatim using the Statistical Package for Science (SPSS) to present and analyze the collected data. All units participated in data collection, with Human Resources (HR) and laboratories identified as generating more waste, followed by Nursing and Main Theater, where nurses accounted for the majority (n = 27) of respondents participating in the survey. research, followed by cleaners. (n = 13) and CHO (10), the majority of whom were between the ages of 40 and 50 (35%). Some cleaners reported placing their hands on what were identified as major risk factors, endangering workers, despite significant efforts being made to ensure bags were securely tied (81.5%) and carts were washed and disinfected (66.2%). Garbage is not emptied during the day with trolleys (58.5%) being the common means of transportation, while 29.2% handle garbage directly, which can pose a risk. However, 62% of respondents had received formal training in medical waste management. It was recommended that the Ministry of Health continues to organize training courses, especially for cleaning personnel and lower-level employees who have direct daily contact with this waste.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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    AU  - Peter Sahr Braima
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    JF  - International Journal of Education, Culture and Society
    JO  - International Journal of Education, Culture and Society
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijecs.20240904.12
    AB  - Hospital waste poses risks to patients and waste disposal personnel and poses a threat to public health and the environment. Medical waste management is a new issue that is made worse by a lack of funding, knowledge and training to support solutions. Since these wastes have the potential to directly affect environmental health risks as well as public health risks, their collection and treatment are crucial. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of the waste handlers on healthcare waste generated in Bo Government Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the health impact of medical waste management at Bo Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. The author used mixed methods to combine semi-structured and self-administered quantitative questionnaires with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, cleaners, and residents. Near the hospital. A sample of 100 medical staff and residents living near the hospital was taken from Bo Government Hospital using a simple random sampling technique to collect data. Raw data come in a variety of forms, including measurements, questionnaire responses, and observations, and results are presented in tables, graphs, and verbatim using the Statistical Package for Science (SPSS) to present and analyze the collected data. All units participated in data collection, with Human Resources (HR) and laboratories identified as generating more waste, followed by Nursing and Main Theater, where nurses accounted for the majority (n = 27) of respondents participating in the survey. research, followed by cleaners. (n = 13) and CHO (10), the majority of whom were between the ages of 40 and 50 (35%). Some cleaners reported placing their hands on what were identified as major risk factors, endangering workers, despite significant efforts being made to ensure bags were securely tied (81.5%) and carts were washed and disinfected (66.2%). Garbage is not emptied during the day with trolleys (58.5%) being the common means of transportation, while 29.2% handle garbage directly, which can pose a risk. However, 62% of respondents had received formal training in medical waste management. It was recommended that the Ministry of Health continues to organize training courses, especially for cleaning personnel and lower-level employees who have direct daily contact with this waste.
    
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Teacher Education, School of Education Njala University, Bo Campus, Sierra Leone

  • Department of Educational Foundations, Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, Magburaka, Sierra Leone

  • Department of Clinical and Allied Health Science, Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, Magburaka, Sierra Leone

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